


The Other Pond

by smilesriddle



Series: The Other Pond Series [1]
Category: Doctor Who
Genre: F/M, Swearing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-06-16
Updated: 2015-07-10
Packaged: 2018-02-04 23:03:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 16
Words: 42,978
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1796548
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/smilesriddle/pseuds/smilesriddle
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Amelia Pond is known as the girl who waited, but what you don't know is that she has a sister. A sister who's name is Avery Pond. The girl who has lifetimes before and after her current present. The girl who has a soul that never truly dies. And this, is how she and Amelia met the Doctor!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue: Wish on a Falling TARDIS

**Author's Note:**

> I don't own Doctor Who or Torchwood whatsoever BBC does, and I’m just a fan with an idea. And I update every Monday.

_Avery's POV_

I was getting ready for bed and my darling sister Amelia is complaining about the crack in the wall. Sure, it’s unsettling but there nothing we can do. Our aunt left for out of town leaving us here. And now I can hear her praying to Santa.

"Dear Santa, thank you for the dolls and pencils and the fish. It's Easter now, so I hope I didn't wake you. But honest, it is an emergency." I zoned out of what she was saying a minute later as I heard the oddest noise. I walked into Amelia's room just right to mine and looked out and saw a blue box fall out of the sky and into our yard.

Amelia got up off the floor and joined me at the window. We looked at each other before running out of the house to the blue box that was now smoking after having crashed in our yard on top of our shed.

The doors of the box opened and an anchor flew out and a mysterious man who was completely soaked popped his head out of the box. "Can I have an apple? All I can think about, apples. I love apples. Maybe I'm having a craving. That's new, never had cravings before." He hoisted himself out of the box, and said "Whoa!" looking into the box. This man was very strange indeed. I looked at Amelia who was looking at the madman who just came out of the sky in a box, and destroying our shed in the process. Amelia asked the man "Are you okay?" and he replied "Just had a fall. All the way down there, right to the library. Hell of a climb back up."

I was confused now, he was soaking wet and he was in the library which had to be incredibly small with a box that size and I decided to point out to the madman about the wetness. "You're soaking wet." And he replied "I was in the swimming pool." and Amelia replied before I could "You said you were in the library" and he replied with the maddest thing I've ever heard "So was the swimming pool." I rolled my eyes and Amelia asked if he was a policeman. And he asked if she called one. I expected her next reply would be about the crack and so I left for the kitchen.

A few minutes later they came in, and Amelia told me he said he was a doctor. I looked at her and then looked at the man who proclaimed to be a doctor and asked him "If you're a doctor, why does your box say Police?" Amelia gave him an apple. He spat it out after taking a bite; I gave Amelia a look that basically said I'm not cleaning up his mess. He said "That's disgusting. What is that?" I was confused and said "An apple." He replied "Apples are rubbish. I hate apples." and Amelia said "You said you loved them."

Then he asked for yoghurt, and then we gave him bacon, he accused us of poisoning him. Then he got beans and spat them into the sink. I got him bread and butter while Amelia cleaned the apple and yoghurt off the floor before someone stepped in it. He threw the bread out of the door. Amelia looked through the fridge and asked if he wanted carrots. To which he said "Carrots? Are you insane?" I gave him an offended look and took the carrots and ate them myself.

He went and got fish fingers and custard. Finally he decided on something to eat. Amelia sat across from him and I eating ice cream out of the tub, while he dipped fish fingers into the custard. Amelia shook her head and said "You're as bad as Avery when it comes to custard. Though she likes carrots with custard." I smiled and dipped one of my carrots into his custard and bit into it giving him a smile. He shook his head and drank some of the custard and I laughed.

He then asked for our names, I went first and said "Avery Pond." and then Amelia went and introduced herself. He said she had a brilliant name, like a name in a fairy-tale. He then asked if we were Scotland and Amelia replied saying that we had to move to England and that it was rubbish. He then asked if our parents were upstairs.

I replied "We don't have a mum and dad. Just an aunt." He asked where she was and Amelia just said she was out. He said in surprise "And she left you guys all alone." Amelia said "We're not scared." to which he replied looking straight at Amelia "You're not scared of anything! Box falls out of the sky, man falls out of box, man eats fish custard, and look at you, just sitting there. So you know what I think?" We both asked "What?" he says "Must be a hell of a scary crack in your wall."

We finished up eating and followed the man called Doctor into Amelia's room with a crack in the wall. Amelia said to the man while he investigated her wall "I used to hate apples, so my mum put faces on them." She gave it to him and he pocketed it. He then said "This wall is solid and the crack doesn't go all the way through it. So here's the thing, where's the draught coming from?" He scanned the wall with this pen looking thing that was silver and blue. "Wibbly-wobbly, timey-wimey. You know what the crack is?"

Amelia asked "What?" and he looked at the wall saying "It's a crack. I'll tell you something funny. If you knocked this wall down, the crack would stay put, cos the crack isn't in the wall." I asked confused "Where is it then?" he replied "Everywhere. In everything. It's a split in the skin of the world. Two parts of space and time that should never have touches, pressed together... right here in the wall of your bedroom. Sometimes, can you hear...?" Amelia inputted "A voice. Yes."

Now I swear Amelia was going mad. A voice in a wall... The doctor man grabbed Amelia's glass of water, throwing out the water which landed on me regrettably; I gave him a look of grumpiness. He didn't look at me, and just grabbed a stool sticking the glass to the wall sitting on the stool with his ear to the glass. I walked out to go clean myself up. The last thing I heard was something about Prisoner Zero escaping and a Prison.

I heard banging outside and ran to the box, a few minutes later the Doctor ran out of the house yelling "I've got to get back in there. The engines are phasing. It's going to burn!" Amelia ran behind him, following saying "But... it's just a box! How can a box have engines?" The Doctor replied "It's not a box. It's a time machine."

Now I was intrigued, I've always wanted to travel through time and space! "What, a real one? You've got a real time machine?" He replied saying "Not for much longer if I can't get her stabilised. Five-minute hop into the future should do it." I hopped off my rock that I was standing on and asked "Can we come?" and he said "Not safe in here, not yet. Five minutes. Give me five minutes. I'll be right back." Amelia said with a sad look "People always say that." and he hopped off of his box and walked towards her and crouched down enough to look her in the eyes and asked "Am I people? Do I even look like people? Trust me. I'm the Doctor." With that he climbed into his box. He disappeared into his box which then made that odd metallic noise and disappeared into thin air.

We looked at each other for one moment before turning back to the house to go pack. We came back and sat in front of our now destroyed flattened shed for him to come back. But he never did, not till _**Twelve Years Later...**_


	2. Chapter 1: 12 Years Later

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just realized that out of the 14 official chapters I've written, only the prologue had been posted. So here you go!

Avery's POV

I just finished the night shift at the building I worked at. I walked out of the secret entrance to our facility. I couldn’t get over the Doctor leaving us 12 years ago, never returning in the 5 minutes he said he would. We ended up waking up in our beds, after falling asleep outside in the yard. I looked at the horizon, the sun was just rising. It was dawn; Amy wouldn’t be up for a few hours.

I walked to the train station, where I waited for the early train. The first train of the day, the train from London to Leadworth, it was tiring taking the train back and forth, and it took almost 3 hours. But that was the HQ, and it had to be in London where it was founded. It was a group that was there to protect Earth from the supernatural, out of world stuff when the Doctor couldn’t.

I sighed as I got out a file that I had to read for work. It was only 6:15am, and it would be an hour before the train arrived at 7:15am. And I would arrive home just after 10. By the time I finished 2 out of 6 files that I had to read, the train arrived and I got on. I showed the conductor my pass, and just sat back for the 2 hours and 43 minutes ride.

**_2 hours and 43 minutes later…_ **

I finally arrived in front of our home, our home for a long time. Our aunt left a long time ago, and we inherited this house. I unlocked the door before locking it again behind me; I jumped the steps to Amy’s room upstairs. I poked my head into her room and saw that she was still sleeping. I whistled loudly, to which she rolled out of bed spooked. I laughed, and she got up yelling “I’M GONNA KILL YOU AVERY!” I ran off to my room to change out of my work clothes. I slammed my door in her face as she was about to get me. I leaned against my door, as she ran into the door trying to get in. I yelled at her “Go get ready Amy! There’s a guy asking for a policewoman kissogram, remember?”

I heard her make a sound of agreement and walk off. I changed into a t-shirt and sweats, along with Uggs. I threw my hair into a ponytail, and walked into the bathroom while Amy was showering. I took a washcloth, and washed my makeup off. Thankfully yesterday was my last night shift. I left the bathroom to go get myself a snack. I went back upstairs, and Amy walked out of her room fixing her hat.

Then I heard a familiar sound, the sound I had waited for, for 12 years. The TARDIS! I smiled, but couldn’t be sure. I heard yelling downstairs as it headed up stairs, “Amelia! Avery! Are you all right?! Are you there? Prisoner Zero's here.  Prisoner Zero is here!” He held this weird silver thing that made this high-pitch noise to the door in the corner. He added “Prisoner Zero is here! Prisoner Zero's here, do you understand me? Prisoner Zero is...” As Amy hit him with a cricket bat, I gave her an odd look wondering why in the world she hit the Doctor.  I knelt down beside him and checked him to see if he was alright, with the little medical knowledge I had from knowing Rory. I helped Amy then drag him to the radiator, she handcuffed him to it and I sat him up against it.

 

I crouched down beside him, and we waited for him to wake up. He soon shows signs of waking. I let out a quiet breath of relief that he was okay. Amy began talking into her fake radio “White male, mid-twenties, breaking and entering. Send me some backup, I've got him restrained.” She turned to face him, with her hand on her hip. As he began to move a bit, she said “Oi! You, sit still.”

He cleared his throat and said “Cricket bat. I'm getting... Cricket. Bat.”

“You were breaking and entering.” She said, and he abruptly tried to stand up, he fell back down again fast. He finally realized that he was handcuffed to the radiator. I caught him slightly, and he looked at me curiously.

He spoke “Oh that's much better. Brand new me. Whack on the head, just what I needed.”

Amy replied “Do you want to shut up now? I've got backup on the way.” I quietly laughed, but not noticeably.

He replied “Hang on, no, wait. You're a policewoman.”

“And you're breaking and entering. You see how this works?”

“No, what are you doing here? Where are Amelia and Avery?” Amy stared at him, as did I before I looked up at Amy. He remembered us.

“....Amelia Pond?” she carefully asked, and I added “And Avery Pond?”

“Yeah. Amelia and Avery. Little Scottish girls, twins. Where are they? I promised them five minutes, but the engines were phasing, I suppose I must have gone a bit far. Has something happened to them?” He asked Amy and I kept staring at him warily.

“Amelia Pond hasn't lived here in a long time. Nor has Avery Pond.” I said, clearly he didn’t notice we looked alike.

“How long?” He asked

“...Six months.” Amy replied, and he looked defeated and says as he sniffed.

“No. No! No. Noo. I can't be six months late, I said five minutes. I promised.” Amy turned away as I looked down at the ground. “What happened to her? What happened to Amelia Pond and Avery Pond?”

“Sarge, it's me again, hurry it up. This guy knows something about Amelia Pond.” Amy said into her radio.

“I need to speak to whoever lives in this house right now.” He said, I looked up at Amy and said to him “We live here.”

“But she’s the police!” he exclaimed, I sniffed rolling my eyes. Police have homes too.

“Yes, and this is where I live! You got a problem with that?” Amy snapped, I watch him as I straighten up, I watch as his eyes flick to the door down the hall and back to Amy.

“How many rooms?” He asked, I was confused

“...I'm sorry, what?” I asked, and I looked at Amy, she looked confused as well.

“On this floor. How many rooms on this floor? Count them for me, now.”

“Why?” Amy asked

“Because it will change your life.” He replied, I quietly counted them out as Amy did so.

“....Five. One, two, three, four, five.” Amy said as she counted them out loud, pointing them out as she did so.

“Six.” He replied, I looked right at him, he was crazy. Amy started laughing

“Six?” she asked, and he pointed at the corner of the hall.

“Look.”

“Look where?” Amy asked

“Exactly where you don't wanna look. Where you never wanna look. The corner of your eye. Look behind you.” The Doctor said, and Amy turned finally seeing the door. The door I had noticed a week after I first started working at the special ops place in London.

“That's... that is not possible. How is that possible?” Amy said shocked. I let him explain, no one would think that Avery Alecia Pond would know about perception filters.

“There's a perception filter all round the door. Sensed it last time I was here. Should've seen it.” The Doctor said, and I put my hand on his arm.

“But that's a whole room. That's a whole room I've never even noticed.” Amy said, staring at the door.

“The filter stops you noticing. Something came here, a while ago, to hide, and it's still hiding, and you need to uncuff me now!” The Doctor shouted.

“Don’t have the key, I lost it.” Amy said, I rolled my eyes. It sounded so typical of Amy. To lose the key to party handcuffs. Amy started heading towards the door, and I was about to warn her to not go towards the door.

“How can you have lost it?! ...Stay away from that door! Do not touch that door!Listen to me, do not open that!” the Doctor shouted frantically at her, she ignored him the entire time. She turned the handle to the door and stepped inside of the room that had remained hidden for a good number of years. He looks at me, and says “Why does no one ever listen to me? Do I just have a face that nobody listens to?!” He paused, and added quietly “...Again.” He then started feeling in his pockets, and asked “My screwdriver, where is it? Silver thing, blue at the end, where did it go?!” I gave him an odd look and was about to reply when we heard Amy say

“There’s nothing here.”

“Whatever's in there stopped you seeing the whole room. What makes you think you could see it? Now please, just get out!” He shouted at her, I crouched back down looking at the handcuffs; I looked to see if I could find a way to get him out or unlock it. Where’s a bobby-pin when you need one?

“Silver, blue at the end?” Amy said from inside that room.

“My screwdriver, yeah.”

“It’s here.”

“Must've rolled under the door.”

“Yeah. Must've. And then it must've... jumped up on the table.” She replied, and I looked at the Doctor. I knew something wasn’t right, he knew something was wrong. Prisoner Zero clearly was still there.

“Get out of there. Get out of there! Get out! Get out of there!!” The Doctor yelled at Amy, frantically. She needed to get out now. I straightened up and started towards the door. She was my sister after all. The Doctor then said when she hadn’t left yet “What is it? What are you doing?”

“There's nothing here, but...”

“Corner of your eye...”

“What is it?”

“Don't try to see it; if it knows you've seen it, it will kill you! Don't look at it! Do not... look.” Amy screamed and the Doctor yelled “Get out!” finally Amy listened and ran out of the room, slamming the door behind her, running over to us.

“Gimme that.” He said, as he took his screwdriver thing, he aimed it at the door. The door locked, that was a sound of a door locking. This was definitely different, but it wasn’t like I wasn’t used to it with my work. He then aimed it at the cuffs, trying to free himself. He looked at his screwdriver sadly asking it like it could talk “Oh, what's the bad alien done to you?”

“Will that door hold it?” Amy asked

“Oh, yeah, yeah, course. It's an inter-dimensional multiform from outer space, they're all terrified of wood.” The Doctor replied Amy gave him a scathing look. I stared at him with hard eyes; it was the wrong time for sarcasm. The door suddenly flashed yellow from within, clearly that door would soon not exist and it would get out.

“What's that? What's it doing?” I asked I’ve never really seen anything like this before. This would be an interesting thing to tell Jack when I got back.

“I don't know. Getting dressed? Run. Just go, your backup's coming, I'll be fine.” The Doctor said as he looked up from rubbing his screwdriver. Clearly he loved that thing.

“There is no backup.” I said giving Amy a look, telling her to basically tell the truth now.

“...I heard her on the radio, you called for backup.” He said to me, and then to Amy.

“I was pretending, it's a pretend radio.” Amy said, finally coming out.

“But you're a policewoman.” He said, pretty sure he believed that part.

“I'm a kissogram!” Amy said loudly, she took her police hat off and her hair fell out. Though we had no time to think about this, the door crashed down where it once was glowing yellow. A man and his very large black dog step out, staring at us. “....But it's just...” Amy sputtered

“No it isn't. Look at the faces.” The Doctor said, and the dog started to grow and then bark. We looked, the dog’s face wasn’t moving at all. The man’s was, it was barking.

Amy paused and said “....What? I'm sorry, but - What?!” not being able to comprehend it. I gave Amy a look, shoving her over and standing in front of her, protecting her best I can.

“It's all one creature, one creature disguised as two. Clever, old, multi-form. A bit of a rushed job, though, got the voices a bit muddled, did you? Mind you, where did you get the pattern from? You'd need a psychic link, life feed, how'd you fix that?” The Doctor said, as the man growls again. He took a step towards us and opened his mouth. He had large pointy teeth! The Doctor then said to the creature man thing, “Stay away! Apparently we're safe, wanna know why? She sent for backup.”

“I didn't send for backup!” Amy proclaimed

“...I know, that was a clever line to save our lives. Okay, yeah, no backup!” The Doctor said to us, then the man. The man closed his mouth, stopped growling too. The Doctor added “And that's why we're safe. Alone we're not a threat to you. If we HAD backup then you'd have to kill us.” Suddenly there was a voice, a voice that sounded kind of familiar. It was foggy memory. The voice said “Attention Prisoner Zero. The human residence is surrounded. Attention Prisoner Zero. The human residence is surrounded.”

“What's that?” Amy asked, as I looked out the window for whatever it was.

“Well, that would be backup. Okay, one more time. We do have backup, and that's definitely why we're safe.” The Doctor said.

“Prisoner Zero will vacate the human residence, or the human residence will be incinerated.” The voice said, and repeats over and over. The man-dog-creature-thing wandered off into another room to look out of the other window. The Doctor was slamming his screwdriver thing on the floor, trying to get it to work. “Work, work, work, work. Come on!” He yelled at it, and finally it does. The handcuffs snapped open freeing him. “Run!” He grabbed my hand, and I grabbed Amy’s. I pushed her in front of me and the Doctor pushed me in front of him. We ran down the stairs, and the Doctor yelled again “Run!” Clearly that was one of his favorite words or commands. We ran out of the house, slamming the door behind us. The Doctor did his thing to the lock. We continued to run towards the TARDIS. I squealed a bit, and sped up.

“A kissogram?!” The Doctor asked Amy.

“Yes, a kissogram! What's going on?!”

“Why'd you pretend to be a policewoman?”

“You broke into my house! It was this or a French maid! What's going on, tell me! Tell me!”

“An alien convict is hiding in your spare room, disguised as a man and a dog, and some other aliens are about to incinerate your house. Any questions?”

“Yes!”

“Me too.” The Doctor said, and tried to unlock the TARDIS. But no such luck, I smirked at him as I stroke the TARDIS. Maybe this time, I would finally get my dream of travelling with the Doctor. I mean, we get what he promised 12 years ago. The Doctor then said “No, no, no, no, no! Don't do that, not now.. It's still rebuilding, not letting us in.”

“Come on!” Amy yelled as she grabbed the Doctor’s arm, pulling him away from where he was pressed up against the TARDIS, rubbing it gently. He was clearly in love with this box. He tried to pull away, and said “Wait, wait, hang on! Wait wait wait wait wait, the shed! I destroyed that shed last time I was here, smashed it to pieces!” He ran over to our new shed. I followed reluctantly, or I’d start getting weird looks from them.

“So, there's a new one! Let's go!” Amy said

“Yeah, but the new one's got old! It's ten years old at least!” He started sniffing it, then rubbing it, and then licked his finger... And I waited for THIS MAN! I gave him a strange look as he then said after deliberating “Twelve years. I'm not six months late, I'm twelve years late.” He turned to Amy, and I said “Penny in the air...”

“He’s coming.” Amy said, trying to distract him.

“You said six months! Why did you say six months?”

“We’ve gotta go.”

“This matters. This is important! Why did you say six months?” The Doctor said insistently.

I looked at the ground, tears somewhat starting to form as memories came back. Memories of being teased by my classmates, Amy and I having to go to the Psychiatrists. Amy and I both snapped at him, shouting “Well why did you say five minutes?!” He stared at us, finally realising what he had been missing. He was in shock, and Amy’s eyes were wide. I covered my face, he now knew. We were the little Scottish twin girls, he had promised 5 minutes, and returned 12 years later. He whispered loudly  **“...What....”**


	3. Chapter 2: Prisoner Zero/Atraxi

**Recap:**

**“You said six months! Why did you say six months?” The Doctor said**

**“We’ve gotta go.” Amy replied, avoiding the question**

**“This matters. This is important! Why did you say six months?” The Doctor said insistently.**

**I looked at the ground, tears somewhat starting to form as memories came back. Memories of being teased by my classmates, Amy and I having to go to the Psychiatrists. Amy and I both snapped at him, shouting “Well why did you say five minutes?!” He stared at us, finally realising what he had been missing. He was in shock, and Amy’s eyes were wide. I covered my face, he now knew. We were the little Scottish twin girls, he had promised 5 minutes, and returned 12 years later.**

**He whispered loudly “...What....”**

 

Avery's POV

Amy looked at me, gave me a quick hug. Which I shrugged off as I wiped my eyes, I needed to be strong. The Doctor maybe here, but he was clearly wasn’t exactly with it. Not with the stories that Jack told of his adventures with the Doctor, and that the Doctor just regenerated if the weird glowy stuff Amy told me about before was correct.

“Come on.” Amy said, the Doctor was still trying to figure it out.

“What?”

“Come on!!”

“What?!” the Doctor was still not grasping the new news very well, Amy pulled him by the hand and we ran out of our garden as the weird voice continued. We ran pass the man and the dog, while the man barks. The voice said “Prisoner Zero will vacate the human residence, or the human residence will be incinerated...” still. When would the voice shut up?

We ran up the village road, towards the square when the Doctor stopped, turning to Amy. “You’re Amelia.” Turned to me, and said “Meaning you have to be Avery.” I gave him a disgruntled look, as we kept walking. He caught up with us, and Amy said “You’re late.”

“Amelia Pond! Avery Pond! You’re the little girls!”

“I'm Amelia, and you're late!” she said,

“I’m still Avery... And you’re definitely late!” I added

“What happened?!” the Doctor shouted, getting us some looks from passing by people.

“Twelve years.” I replied

“You hit me with a cricket bat!”

“Twelve years!” Amy replied

“A cricket bat!”

“Twelve years, and four psychiatrists. Right Aves?” I nodded in agreement.

“...Four?”

“...I kept biting them.” Amy admitted

“Why?” the Doctor asked, clearly finding this funny. I shook my head.

“They said you weren't real.” I replied, smirking. Amy and I promised to never tell anyone that she wasn’t the one who bit them, I did. I was after all the one who was supposed to be calmer, even being Scottish. But I was passionate about the Doctor being real. Suddenly we heard the voice, it was blaring out of the speakers of an ice cream van “Prisoner Zero will vacate the human residence, or the human residence will be incinerated.”

“No no no, come on. What? We're being staked out... by an ice cream van” Amy said, we ran up to the van.

“What's that? Why are you playing that?” The Doctor said even though he probably knew.

“It's supposed to be Clair De Lune.” The ice cream man told us. The Doctor picked up the radio, holding it to his ear. He played around with the radio, and wanders off to the side of the ice cream van. I followed him; everything with speakers was playing the same thing. Amy followed us and asked “Doctor, what’s happening?” We looked around for a bit and ran off in different directions. The Doctor leaped over some guy’s garden fence.

The Doctor and I ran into Mrs. Angelo’s house through the unlocked door, he skidded on the carpet as he headed into the living room with me just behind him. Where Mrs. Angelo was playing with her remote. On the screen is a very familiar giant eyeball, whizzing around repeating the same words as the voice outside. I closed my eyes and thought back to the files I had read that morning. There was a file on Atraxi, with the eyeball as its profile photo.  _It was a species which formed a galactic police force. They were known to be very efficient with their work, tracking down any prisoners who escaped their facilities and executing them. Though they aren’t exactly bright._ The Doctor said to Mrs. Angelo “Hello! Sorry to burst in, we're doing a special on television faults in this area.” Then Amy bursts in suddenly, and I laughed as he added “...Also, crimes. Let's have a look.” He walked over to check out the remote.

“I was just about to phone... It's on every channel!” Mrs. Angelo said, and then she noticed Amy and said “Oh, hello Amy dear! ...Are you a policewoman now?”

“Well! Sometimes...” Amy replied embarrassed.

“I thought you were a nurse.” Mrs. Angelo said, and the Doctor looked up at Amy curiously. I quirked my eyebrow at her.

“I can. Be a nurse.” she said

“Or, actually a nun?”

“I dabble!” Amy laughed

“Amy? Avery, who’s your friend?” Mrs. Angelo asked us, ignoring what Amy said about dabbling.

“Who’s Amy? You’re Amelia.” Doctor asked confused.

“Yeah, now I'm Amy!”

“Amelia Pond! That was a great name!”

“...Bit fairytale.” Amy replied, I laughed. The Doctor stared at Amy, but was interrupted from his staring by Mrs. Angelo saying to the Doctor “I know, you, don't I? I mean I've seen you somewhere before!”

“Not me. Brand new face.” He stretched his face as wide as he could. “First time on. And what sort of job's a kissogram?”

“I go to parties, and... I kiss people... With outfits. It’s a laugh!”

“You were a little girl five minutes ago!” The Doctor said, still not exactly getting why.

“You’re worse than my aunt.”

“I’m the Doctor, I'm worse than everybody's aunt!” He turned to Mrs. Angelo and said “And, that is not how I'm introducing myself.” She nodded, a little bit bemused. He turned and started using his screwdriver to the radio, tuning it to different channels. The voice of the Atraxi came out in different languages. That’s interesting. It had to mean, that the human resident was earth. I gave a sight sound of disagreement as I worked it out. I reached towards my wrist, and remembered I took off the communication device and that thing was still probably at home. I growled, and then remembered that I had the phone number, smiling I said “Mrs. Angelo, mind if I use your phone?”

“Go ahead dear.” She replied, I walked over to where the phone was. I could hear the Atraxi voice coming from the phone speaker. It would have to do, just need to see if I can make the call. I dialed the number, and then the pass code. I heard the slight bit of dial tone, and Gwen replied “Hello?”

“Hey, it’s Avery. It seems like we got problems. One, the Atraxi are threatening to incinerate earth! And the Doctor is without his tools, and just regenerated. Just tell Jack this; I’ll get back to you guys when I know more.” I hung up, I knew Gwen had written it all down and would tell Jack. I came back into the room as the Doctor came to the conclusion “Okay. So it's everywhere. In every language. They're broadcasting to the whole world.”  He ran over to the window, opened it and leaned out looking up at the sky. I walked over and joined him looking up.

“What's up there? What are you looking at?” Amy asked as the Doctor pulled himself back in, and started wandering around the room. I pulled myself back in, closing the window behind me.

“Okay. Planet this size, two poles? Your basic molten core? Uh, they're gonna need a forty per cent fission blast.” The Doctor said, and Jeff walked in through the front door behind the Doctor. The Doctor walked up to Jeff, backing him against the wall, as the Doctor leaned right up close to him.

“But they'll have to power up first. So, assuming a medium sized star ship... that's twenty minutes. What do you think? Twenty minutes?” He continued, he bounced up and down, raising and lowering himself on his tiptoes to equal Jeff’s height, then back to his own height, then up again. I laughed at this, clearly the new him had height problems. “Yeah... Twenty minutes. We've got twenty minutes.” The Doctor confirmed.

“Twenty minutes to what?” Amy asked, and I was about to reply when Jeff asked the Doctor “Are you the Doctor?”

“He is, isn't he? He's the Doctor! The Raggedy Doctor! All those cartoons you two did when you were little? The Raggedy Doctor! It's him!” Mrs. Angelo added

Amy cleared her throat and said “...Shut up.”

“...Cartoons?” The doctor said as he heads over towards the telly, and slumps onto the sofa. Jeff wandered closer and said “Gran? It's him, isn't it? It's really him!”

“Jeff, shut up! Twenty minutes to what?” Amy snapped at Jeff and asked the Doctor. I walked over and sat on the sofa next to the Doctor. Then the Doctor announced our demise if we couldn’t stop this, “The human residence. They're not talking about your house, they're talking about the planet. Somewhere up there, there's a spaceship. Aaand, it's going to incinerate the planet.” He paused and we said together, “Twenty minutes to the end of the world.” He glanced up at Amy, who was staring at us. I stared at both of them quiet.  **There was twenty minutes to the end of the world.**


	4. Chapter 3: Rory

We left the Angelo home, determined to save the world within 20 minutes. The Doctor started asking Amy about where we were.

"What is this place? Where am I?" The Doctor asked

"Leadworth." Amy answered

"Where's the rest of it?"

"This is it."

"Is there an airport?"

"No."

"A nuclear power station?"

"Ha, no."

"Even just a little one?"

"No."

"Nearest city?"

"Half an hour by car."

"We don't have half an hour. Do we have a car?" The Doctor asked

"No." I answered

"Oh, that's good! Fantastic, that is, twenty minutes to save the world, and I've got a Post Office. And it's shut. What is that?" He pointed at a pond, and ran towards it. Amy and I followed.

"It's a duck pond." Amy answered. The Doctor turned to face her and asked

"Why aren't there any ducks?"

"I don't know, there's never any ducks!"

"Then how do you know it's a duck pond?"

"It just is! Is it important, a duck pond?"

"I don't know. How would I know?" He said this as he clutched his chest, jerking around slightly as he fell backwards. I ran towards him, and crouched down beside him. Even if he left us, he was still the most important person to me besides Rory, Amy, and Jack. The Doctor and Jack were my only chances to escape this boring small village. Nothing ever happened in Leadworth besides the Doctor and the Atraxi.

"This is too soon... I'm not ready, I'm not done yet." He said as I rubbed his arm comfortingly. Amy just stared at us, and then we looked up to the sky as a shadow fell upon us.

"What's happening? Why's it going dark?" Amy asked the dark slowly past but the Sun was left looking rather odd. "What's wrong with the Sun?"

"Nothing. You're looking at it through a force field; they've sealed off your upper atmosphere, now they're getting ready to boil the planet." The Doctor answered as Amy stared at him as he and I got up, looked around the park at everyone who was pulling out a mobile phone and is filming the strange-looking sun. I shook my head at them; they weren't doing very well for the reputation of the humankind. "Oh and here they come. The human race. See, the end comes, as it was always going to, down a video phone." He said.

"This isn't real, is it; this is some kind of big wind-up..." Amy said in denial, I just stared at her. She had to be kidding me.

"Why would I wind you up?"

"You told me you had a time machine."

"And you believed me."

"Then I grew up."

"Oh, well you never wanna do that. No. Hang on, shut up! Wait. I missed it." The Doctor said and then slapped himself in the forehead rather painfully. "I saw it, and I missed it." He slapped himself again in the forehead, leaving a red mark. "What did I see, I saw, what did I see, I saw I saw I saw..." The Doctor said as he looked around. He spotted Rory who was looking around somewhat shiftily, messing with his phone. The Doctor glanced at the clock, then turned to us and said "Twenty minutes! I can do it! Twenty minutes, the planet burns, run to your loved ones and say goodbye... or stay and help me." I nodded and then looked at Amy, who stared at him and then said "...No." The Doctor and I weren't even sure if we heard correctly.

"I'm sorry?" The Doctor said rather confused by her answer.

"NO!" She yelled, as she grabbed hold of his tie tightly, dragging him toward a just-parked car in the car park right behind us. I followed asking "Amy! What are you doing?!"

"Amy - no, no! What are you doing?!" The Doctor said right before she opened the car door, slammed it close on his tie, trapping him there. She then took the car keys off the elderly man who owned the car, Mr. Henderson and locks it. I smiled and waved at Mr. Henderson.

"Are you out of your mind?!" The Doctor said

"Who are you?" Amy asked

"You know who I am." The Doctor replied

"No really. Who are you?" Amy said not believing him.

"Look at the sky. End of the world. Twenty minutes." The Doctor said, pointing to the sky.

"Well, better talk quickly then." Amy said, crossing her arms staring at him expectantly.

"Amy... I am going to need my car back." Mr. Henderson said looking at Amy.

"Yes, in a bit. Now go and have coffee."

"Right. Yes..." Mr. Henderson said and then left. The Doctor fiddled around in his pocket, pulling out the apple with the face, tossing it to Amy saying "Catch." She did, and she stared at it. The same apple she gave to him before he inspected the crack in the wall... before he hit me with the glass of water. As I remembered that I frowned at him and slapped him. "That was for what you did to me 12 years ago! You basically poured water on me!" He stared at me as he adjusted his jaw and said to Amy, ignoring me for now "I'm the Doctor. I'm a time traveller. Everything I told you twelve years ago is true. I'm real. What's happening in the sky is real, and if you don't let me go right now, everything you've ever known is over."

"...I don't believe you." Amy replied, considering what he said and the apple, intensely. I stared at him waiting for him to reply to me.

"Just - twenty minutes." He took Amy's arm that was holding the apple. "Just believe me for twenty minutes. Look at it." Amy stared at the apple. "Fresh as the day you gave it to me, and you know it's the same one." Amy took her second's thought, looking between the Doctor's earnest face and the smiling of the apple. He said "Amy. Believe, for twenty minutes." Amy paused, and then raised the car keys and unlocks the car saying "What do we do?"

"Stop that nurse." The Doctor said Amy and I look at each other, smiling a slightly evil smile. The Doctor, freed took off, jumping over the low chain link fence running straight past Rory nicking his phone swiftly as he goes. He peered at the phone, curiously and then turned to confront Rory. Amy and I caught up; having ran slower, after barely bouncing over the low fence. Amy stopped to tug down her short, short skirt. I continued to run, catching up to the Doctor within a few seconds. "The Sun's going out, and you're photographing a man and a dog, why?" The Doctor asked Rory as he gave Rory his phone back, Rory saw Amy behind me, looking relieved. I smirked, and nudged Rory who gave me a side hug quickly. We were close friends even though he was dating Amy. "Amy!" Rory said to Amy as she caught up.

"Hi! Oh, uh, this is Rory, he's a... friend." Amy said to the Doctor.

"Boyfriend." Rory corrected

"Kind of. Boyfriend." Amy said

"Amy!"

"Man and a dog. Why?" The Doctor asked Rory

"Oh, my gosh. It's him." Rory said realising who this was.

"Just, answer his question, please." Amy told Rory

"It's him though! The Doctor, the Raggedy Doctor!"

"Yeah! He, he came back." I spoke up smiling widely. I had faith he would come back, Amy however, was starting to lose faith. And here he was, like I said he would.

"But he was a story, he was a game-" Rory replied but was interrupted by the Doctor grabbing the front of his shirt impatiently, really wanting to know "Man and a dog! Why! Tell me! Now!"

"Sorry! Because - he can't be there - because, he's-" Rory answered

"In a hospital, in a coma." Rory and the Doctor said together.

"...Yeah." Rory said

"Knew it. Multiform, you see?" The Doctor said as he let go of Rory, brushing him down. "Disguise itself as anything, but it needs a lifefeed, a psychic link, with a living, but dormant mind." The Doctor said as he finished what he was saying he poked Rory on his forehead. He looked as though he was about to say more but was interrupted by a dog barking behind us. We spun around, seeing that it was Prisoner Zero barking. Both the man and dog this time. The Doctor moved forward to confront him. "Prisoner Zero."

"What? There's a Prisoner Zero too?" Rory asked, clearly confused.

"Yes." Amy and I said together. Just then, an Atraxi ship flew down from the sky, hovering over the church and started scanning. I smirked as I knew what the Doctor was going to do.

"See, that ship up there is scanning this area for non-terrestrial technology." He took out his sonic screwdriver out of his pocket. "And nothing says non-terrestrial like a sonic screwdriver!" He said looking gleeful. He held down the button raising the screwdriver into the air. Streetlamps all around the park start exploding, car alarms all go off, and a mobility scooter has a mind of its own. A previously parked fire engine also decides it doesn't need people to drive, and rolls off down the road, firemen chasing after it. All while the Atraxi ship is scanning, in the wrong direction. "I think someone's gonna notice, don't you?" The Doctor added, the man-dog bark and growl as the Doctor aimed his sonic towards a telephone box, which explodes quite loudly.

But then out of nowhere the screwdriver itself explodes, the Doctor dropped it onto the ground in front of him. The Doctor attempted to pick at the charred mess. "No, no no! Don't DO that!" he yelled at it. The Atraxi ship starts to pack up and leave, and the Doctor stands to face it. "It's going! No, come back! He's here! Come back! He's here, Prisoner Zero is here!" Prisoner Zero gave a smug smirk and glowed orange, basically melts down the drain. "Come back! He's here, Prisoner Zero is... here..."

"Doctor! The drain, it just... sort of, melted and went down the drain." Amy said carefully.

"Well, of course it did." The Doctor said matter-factly.

"What do we do now?!" Amy asked

"It's hiding in human form. We need to drive it into the open. No TARDIS, no screwdriver, seventeen minutes, come on... Think. Think!" The Doctor said smacking his head. We walked over to the drain that Prisoner Zero disappeared down, looking at.

"So that thing. That hid in my house for twelve years?" Amy said

"Multiforms can live for millenia. Twelve years is a pitstop." The Doctor answered

"So how come you show up again on the same day that lot do? The same minute?" I asked, curious

"They're looking for him, but they followed me. They saw me through the crack, got a fix, they're only late 'cause I am." The Doctor answered

"What's he on about?" Rory asked

"Nurse boy, gimme your phone." The Doctor said

"How can he be real?! He was never real!" Rory said

"Phone! Now! Gimme!" The Doctor said impatiently again as Rory hands him the phone.

"It was just a game, we were - we were kids, you made me dress up as him!" Rory said to Amy, as I looked over the Doctor's shoulder at what he was doing. He looked through the photos that Rory had of the coma patients.

"These photos, they're all the coma patients." The Doctor asked/said

"Yep." Rory answered

"No. They're all the multiform. Eight comas, eight disguises for Prisoner Zero." The Doctor questioned, trying to figure it out for himself.

"He had a dog, though, there's a dog in a coma?"

"Well, the coma patient dreams he's walking a dog, Prisoner Zero gets a dog. Laptop!" The Doctor said looking up from the phone "Your friend, what was his name, not him," pointing to Rory "the good-looking one!"

"Thanks" Rory said

"Jeff." Amy answered

"Ohhh, thanks." Rory said, I walked over to him and hugged him. He hugged me, back. I could remember those days. Before Rory and Amy were finally dating. I was happy, excited even. Rory was my best friend, more so than he was to Amy. Amy had Mels, and I was the only one who really cared a lot about Rory.

"He had a laptop in his bag, a laptop. Big bag, biiig laptop! I need Jeff's laptop! You two, get to the hospital. Get everyone out of that ward, clear the floor, phone me when you're done! Avery, you're with me!" The Doctor said running off back to the house. Amy pulled Rory towards his car.  **I smiled at them and followed the Doctor towards the Angelo home.**


	5. Chapter 4: Saving the World

Avery's POV

Amy and Rory left to track down Prisoner Zero while I went with the Doctor to the Angelo home. He and I walked into the house, easily finding Jeff's bedroom. "Hello! Laptop. Gimme." The Doctor said as he crossed the room and tried to prise the laptop away from Jeff, who was trying to cover the screen, and keep it away from the Doctor. Unsuccessfully. The Doctor snatched it away from him and sits down on the edge of the bed, then looks at the screen. Jeff looked over his shoulder warily, as the Doctor's eyes widen. "...Blimey! Get a girlfriend, Jeff." I laughed as I realised what could be on that screen, looking up at the ceiling as I stood from the doorway. Mrs. Angelo entered, "Gran!" Jeff protested to the sudden audience in his room. I walked in and sat next to the Doctor to see what he was doing. He was typing hurriedly typing. "What are you doing?" Mrs. Angelo asked

"Sun's gone wibbly, so right now, somewhere out there, there's gonna be a big old video conference call. All the experts in the world, panicking at once, and d'you know what they need? Me. Ah, and here they all are. All the big boys. NASA, Jodrell Bank, Tokyo Space Center, Patrick Moore." The Doctor answered

"Oh! I like Patrick Moore!" Mrs. Angelo said excitedly

"I'll get you his number, but watch him, he's a devil." He replied, I laughed.

"You can't just hack in on a call like that!" Jeff proclaimed I gave him a look.

"Can't I?" The Doctor said as he suddenly stopped typing and held his special paper up to the webcam on top of the computer. On the screen were 6 different boxes, each with a different person representing a different place. Obviously that special paper worked somehow, because voices come out of the laptop. "Who are you? This is a secure call, what are you doing?"

"Hello. Yeah, I know, you should switch me off, but before you do, watch this." The Doctor replied as he started to type rapidly, he was showing them at the same time just what he was doing. "Fermat's Theorem, the proof, and I mean the real one, never been seen before, poor Fermat got killed in a duel before he could write it down. My fault. I slept in. Oh, and here's an oldie but a goodie, why electrons have mass, and a personal favourite of mine, faster than light travel with two diagrams and a joke." He stopped typing and added "Look at your screens. Whoever I am, I'm a genius. Look at the sun. You need all the help you can get. Fellas - pay attention."

"Sir! What are you doing?!" a random voice asked

The Doctor begun to type fast on Rory's phone and as he did so he said what he was doing. "I am writing a computer virus, very clever, super fast, and a tiny bit alive, but don't let on. And why am I writing it on a phone? Never mind. You'll find out. Okay, I'm sending this to all your computers. Get everyone who works for you sending this everywhere. Email, text, FaceBook, Bebo, Twitter, radar dish. Whatever you've got, any questions?"

"Who was your lady friend?" Patrick Moore asked, I laughed as I knew he was talking about Jeff's grandmother.

"Patrick, behave." The Doctor answered

"What does this virus do?" Another unknown voice asked

"Oh, it's a reset command, that's all, it resets counters, it gets in the wi-fi and resets every counter it can find. Clocks, calendars, anything with a chip will default at zero at exactly the same time. But yeah, I could be lying, why should you trust me? I'll let my best man explain." The Doctor answered and then there was a pause as he waited. Jeff was still staring curiously over our shoulders. The Doctor waits and then slowly turned to Jeff, whispering "Jeff. You're my best man."

"You what?" Jeff asked surprised as the Doctor closed the laptop screen turning to Jeff.

"Listen to me. In ten minutes, you're gonna be a legend. In ten minutes, everyone on that screen is gonna be offering you any job you want. But first, you have to be magnificent. You have to make them trust you and get them working. This is it, Jeff, right here, right now. This is when you fly. Today's the day you save the world." The Doctor answered Jeff, who honestly was looking a bit dumbstruck about it. He begun to think carefully before he answered "...Why me?"

"It's your bedroom. Now, go, go, go." The Doctor answered as he put the laptop on Jeff's lap, got up taking my hand quickly before we ran out.

The Doctor suddenly remembered something as he turned back opening up Jeff's bedroom door and said "Oh. And. Delete your internet history." He waggled a finger off of the hand that wasn't holding mine at Jeff, all the while seeming to think better of it before we left again.

We ran up the garden path, we reached the gate. He looked around and saw the fire engine that had previously decided to wander off from its owners. I laughed as he dragged me towards it. We hopped into the fire engine, he was like a big kid. We drove off towards the hospital that Rory worked at. Rory's phone rang and the Doctor answered, and I was pretty sure it was Amy. He told her "Look in the mirror. Don't worry! I've comandeered a vehicle." He hung up the phone, putting in back in his pocket.

He looked at me before slamming the siren like a kid. I laughed and whooped with joy as we sped down the road. The phone rang again a few minutes later, we were closer to the hospital almost there. "Are you in?!" The Doctor asked and then replied "You need to get out of there." We kept driving as he asked Amy "Amy? Amy, what's happening? Amy! Talk to me!" He then got a reply, which relieved me slightly. At least they weren't dead yet. "Which window are you?" The Doctor asked and then asked again irritated "Which window?!" He really wasn't having an easy day, and probably not used to the lack of straight answers.

He hung up as he got an answer and handed the phone to me as he aimed for the window. He said to me "Avery, text Amy and Rory to duck." I nodded and texted them to duck. The ladder crashed into the room. We got out and he helped me up onto the ladder, which I quickly climbed up and leaped into the room as the Doctor followed more agilely and draped his hands across Rory and Amy's shoulders as I smirked at Prisoner Zero. "Right! Hello! Am I late? No!" The Doctor said as he looked at the clock "Three minutes to go. There's still time."

"Time for what, Time Lord?" replied Prisoner Zero and I widened my eyes as I remembered what Jack had told me. I grabbed my phone and quickly texted Jack's phone about the whole situation.

"Take the disguise off, they'll find you in a heartbeat. Nobody dies." The Doctor said stepping forward.

"The Atraxi will kill me this time. If I am to die, let there be fire." Prisoner Zero replied as a woman with two little girls. I felt bad for the comatose woman's kids. To lose their mother to a coma and then this monster to use her mind for this.

"Ha ha, oookay. You came to this world by opening a crack in space and time. Do it again. Just leave." The Doctor said

"...I did not open the crack."

"Somebody did."

"The cracks in the skin of the universe - don't you know where they came from?" Prisoner Zero told the Doctor, and from the look on his face showed he obviously had no idea, and Prisoner Zero picked up on it. "You don't, do you?" Suddenly a little girl's voice starts to talk through the mother almost singsong like."The Doctor in the TARDIS doesn't know. Doesn't know, doesn't know!" The woman's voice took over again "The universe is cracked. The Pandorica will open. Silence will fall." I knew that was important, and quickly jotted it down on my hand and into my phone as a memo.

Suddenly there was a noise from behind Prisoner Zero, and the Doctor's eyes flick to it. His expression lightened and he relaxed slightly as he exclaimed "Aaaand, we're off. Look at that. Look, at that." He raised a hand to point at it. We all turned to see, turned to see that the thud had been the clock. It looked like the Doctor's computer virus worked as the clock had reset itself, now showing 0:00.

I grinned as I looked at the Doctor as he continued "Yeah, I know, just a clock, whatever, but d'you know what's happening right now? In one little bedroom, my team are working. Jeff and the world. And, d'you know what they're doing? They're spreading the word. All over the world. Quantum fast. The word is out. And do you know what the word is?" Amy and Rory stared at him, Amy was looking full of pride in our Raggedy Doctor. "The word is zero. Now, me, if I was up in the sky in a battleship, monitoring all Earth communications, I'd probably take that as a hint. And if I had a whole battlefleet surrounding the planet, I'd be able to track a simple old computer virus to its source in... what, under a minute? The source, by the way... is right here." He pulled out Rory's phone from his pocket and held it out. Suddenly there was a blinding white light flashing through the windows. "Ooooohhhhh, and I think they just found us!" Amy, Rory and I rushed over to the window to see. One of the Atraxi ships were back and was flying to hover above the hospital, shining a spotlight directly of the eye's pupil to rest on the windows where we all were.

"The Atraxi are limited. While I'm in this form, they'll still be unable to detect me. They've tracked a phone. Not me." Prisoner Zero replied thinking it still outsmarted the Doctor.

"Yeah! But this is the good bit, I mean, this is my favourite bit. Do you know what this phone is full of? Pictures of you. Every form you've learned to take, right here. Oh, and, being uploaded, about... now. And the final score is, no TARDIS, no screwdriver, two minutes to spare... Who da man?!" The Doctor said though we all looked unimpressed at him. I gave him a sympathetic smile. "...Oh. Well. I'm just, never saying that again. Fine." He added

"Then I shall take a new form." Prisoner Zero said

"Oh, stop it, you know you can't. Takes months to form that kind of psychic link." The Doctor said

"And I've had years." Prisoner Zero replied, and suddenly it started to glow orange again. The Doctor stared at it unnerved, and I closed my eyes waiting to pass out when I hear a thud behind me. I opened my eyes and quickly turned around looking at where Amy would be. She had collapsed and I shrieked "AMY!" I slid over to her, putting her head on my lap. The Doctor ran over and crouched beside us. "No! Amy! "He put his hands against her face "You've gotta hold on! Amy! Don't sleep! You've gotta stay awake, please!"

"Doctor!" Rory said as he pointed at Prisoner Zero, we looked up to see The Doctor. The real Doctor sat up somewhat bemused. "...Well that's rubbish. Who's that supposed to be?" I laughed.

"It's you." Rory and I said together.

"Me? Is that what I look like?"

"You don't know?" Rory replied

"Busy day." He said as he got up to face the Prisoner Zero version of him. "Why me, though? You're linked with her! Why are you copying me?"

"I'm not." Prisoner Zero replied as a young Amy Pond was revealed wandering around the taller figure of the fake Doctor, holding his hand. "Poor Amy Pond. Still such a child inside. Dreaming of the magic Doctor she knows will return to save her. What a disappointment you've been."

After a long pause the Doctor replied "No, she's dreaming about me cause she can hear me." He turned running back over to us, crouching next to Amy once more. "Amy. Don't just hear me, listen. Remember the room, the room in your house you couldn't see. Remember you went inside, I tried to stop you but you did. You went in the room. You went inside. Amy... dream about what you saw."

"No. No. No! " Prisoner Zero shrieked as it started to fade orange, the Doctor looked up then stood walking over to face it. As it turned into this weird worm thing, and then it roars at him like a lion would.

"Well done, Prisoner Zero. A perfect impersonation of yourself." The Doctor said as the light suddenly intensifies on the window beside Prisoner Zero, who started thrashing around, hissing, as the Atraxi spoke "Prisoner Zero is located. Prisoner Zero is restrained." The Doctor stared at Prisoner Zero who faced him a final time and said "Silence, Doctor. Silence will fall." It faded away into nothing, as the Atraxi ship powered up its engines and leaves. The Doctor ran to the window to make sure, he looked satisfied but not exactly pleased about. He took out the phone again and starts dialling rapidly again.

"The- the Sun, is back to normal, right? That's... That's good, yeah? That means its over." Rory said as the Doctor ruffles Rory's hair as he walked past him still dialling. Amy started to wake up slowly as Rory leaned over her. "Amy? Are you okay? Are you with us?" He asked

"What happened?" Amy asked

"He did it. The Doctor did it." Rory replied as I helped her up. Then I walked over to the Doctor who replied "No I didn't."

"What are you doing?"Rory asked the Doctor

"Tracking the signal back. Sorry, in advance." The Doctor said as he looked at Rory.

"About what?"

"The bill."

"Awww." Rory whined as the Doctor finally stopped dialling and yelled into the phone "Oi! I didn't say you could go! Article 57 of the Shadow Proclamation. This is a fully established level five planet. And you were gonna burn it? What? Did you think no one was watching? You lot. Back here, now." He hung up the phone, tossing it back to Rory. "Okay. Now I've done it." He said to us as he started to wander off. I followed him hurriedly. "Uh, did he just bring them back?" Rory complained as Amy followed us hurriedly "Did he just save the world from aliens, and then bring all the aliens back again?!" The Doctor smashed the double doors open, impressively. I was right behind him while Amy hurried behind us while Rory was catching up to her. "Where are you going?" Amy asked

"The roof! No. Hang on." The Doctor replied as he ducked into a cloakroom and we followed. He started to ramble around the cloakroom, picking up the odd piece of clothing and holding onto some, flinging the rest over his shoulder. Rory was following, picking up the clothes the Doctor's dropping or throwing.

"What's in here?" Amy and I asked.

"I'm saving the world, I need a decent shirt! To hell with the raggedy - time to put on a show!" The Doctor said as he spun around with a coat before dropping it.

"You've just summoned aliens back to Earth! Actual aliens! Deadly aliens! Aliens... of death, and... now you're... taking your clothes off." Rory said, and the Doctor was stripping in a corner of the room trying on his new clothes. My eyes widened as I quickly covered my eyes but peeking through a crack in my fingers. Forgive me if I don't find him attractive, I have to look. I am Amy Pond's sister.

"Turn your back if it embarasses you." The Doctor replied

"Are you stealing clothes now? Those clothes belong to people.. you know!" Rory said as he gave shifty glances to Amy, obviously he was trying to impress her and turned his back to the Doctor. "...Are you not gonna turn your back?" Rory said to Amy.

"Nope." Amy replied looking particularly smug, and I elbowed her. I uncovered my eyes giving her a look, trying to remind her that she had a boyfriend. As he finally got half of his new outfit on as well about five different ties, we walked to the rooftop. He stepped out first, followed by me and Amy, and then Rory. There was an Atraxi ship already waiting for us here. "So, this was a good idea, was it? They were leaving!" Amy said

"Leaving is good. Never coming back is better." The Doctor said as he paused before starting to yell up at the Atraxi ship. "Come oooooooon then! The Doctor will see you now!" The big eye in the center of the Atraxi ship was suddenly released and zooms down to rest right in front of the Doctor, evidently examining him. A blue light flares out, and starts to scan him. The Doctor waits patiently for it to finish before he then pulls up his braces. At least he was patient for something.

The Atraxi voice declares "You are not of this world."

"No, but I've put a lot of work into it." The Doctor replied as he fiddled about with his new ties, trying to decide which one works best. "Umm... uhh... I dunno." He suddenly said as he held one up "What do you think?" He was acting casual... This was definitely a mad man.

"Is this world important?" the voice asked

"Important?! What does that mean, important? Six billion people live here, is that important? Here's a better question: is this world a threat to the Atraxi?" The Doctor said as he picked up off random ties flinging them backwards, managing to always hit Amy or Rory, but not exactly me as I ducked to avoid being hit.

"Come on, you're monitoring the whole planet. Is this world a threat?" He added as the same blue light streaked outward from the pupil of the eye once more, not scanning though. But creating a hologram of a globe, the globe flicked through different images through our history that included nuclear explosions, wars and armies. Before the voice answered "...No."

"Are the people of this world guilty of any crime by the laws of the Atraxi?" The Doctor asked and the Atraxi flicked through more images of street carnivals, crowds, and costumes and responded "No."

"Okay! One more, just one. Is this world protected?" The Doctor asked and the Atraxi showed images of a Cyberman smashing through a window, a group of Cybermen, The Daleks spitting outward from the Genesis Ark, The Empress of the Racnoss, The Ood, The Sycorax, The Sontarans, The Silurians, The Reapers, The Hath. All while the Doctor said "Cause you're not the first lot to have come here. Oh, there have been SO many. And what you've got to ask is... what happened to them?"

I smirked as I knew the answer, it was always the Doctor or where I worked. The Atraxi globe flicked through pictures of previous Doctors, and as it got to like the tenth one, our Doctor stepped through the hologram with a curious smile on his face and his full outfit, including a tweed jacket and bowtie. The hologram abruptly disappeared.

"Hello. I'm the Doctor." He paused and gave a small breath of laughter as he said "Basically. Run." The eye widened as it looked terrified, it scooted back up into its ship and the ship leaves hurriedly. Amy and I laughed behind him, as the Doctor stared up grinning into the sky. He jerked slightly, and he pulled out a key that was glowing. I smiled, it was the TARDIS key.

"Is that it? Is that them gone for good? Who were they?" Amy asked but there was no answer. We looked around, and the door back into the building was wide open. The Doctor was already gone, and I sighed disappointed. He had left us again.

We rushed off to our house, back to where the TARDIS was originally. We ran and just as we rushed into the garden. The TARDIS dematerialised, Amy stood slightly ahead of Rory as the wind whipped around us as the TARDIS disappears Amy closed her eyes, and she let him go again. I slumped down to my knees. He had left us again, and how long would it be this time. I sighed as I let my head slump as I stared at the ground, tears forming my eyes. I covered my eyes as I squeezed them shut. I wasn't going to cry this time, he would come back. I knew he would, it would just take time.

_**Two Years Later** _

I had grown tired of taking the train back and forth and decided to get an apartment in London. Closer to work, after all I got promoted. Whenever things happened, Jack took me with him. We were partners basically, except he was the guy that couldn't die. He didn't share as many stories of his travels with the Doctor anymore. He knew it would just upset me; after all it had been two years since the Doctor came back for a day and leave us again.

But now, I was back in Leadworth for a very special day. Amelia Pond's Wedding to Rory Williams. I was so excited. It was the night before, and I woke up as I heard the sound of the TARDIS. I shot out of my bed to Amy's room that was facing the garden and looked out her window with her. We looked at each other and darted off. I ran to my room and grabbed my dressing gown on along with my shoes, phone, and vortex manipulator. Oh yeah, I got one of those, came with the promotion. I pulled my shoes on as well my dressing gown as I walked out of the door just behind Amy, closing it behind me. The Doctor was standing in front of his TARDIS. I gave him a look of slight anger, how dare he come back and look like that. "Sorry about running off earlier! Brand new TARDIS, bit exciting! Just had a quick hop to the Moon and back to run her in." He said as Amy ran slightly closer to him, stopping at the small archway. I followed tying my dressing gown closed. "She's ready for the big stuff now." He added as he patted the TARDIS.

"...It's you. You came back." Amy said

"Course I came back. I always come back. Something wrong with that?" the Doctor said, though I wasn't so sure that he always did. Not from the stories Jack told.

"And you kept the clothes?" Amy said as we walked over to Doctor, standing beside the TARDIS the same way he was.

"Well, I just saved the world. The whole planet, for about the millionth time, no charge, yeah. Shoot me. I kept the clothes."

"Including the bow-tie." Amy said

"Yeah. It's cool. Bow-ties are cool." The Doctor replied adjusting his bow-tie.

"Are you from another planet?" Amy asked

"Yeah." He replied

"'Kay..."

"So what do you think?" He asked

"What?" Amy asked

"Other planets, wanna check some out?"

"What does that mean?" I asked

"It means, well, it means... come wi' me." The Doctor said

"Where?" I asked

"Wherever either of you like." He replied

"All that stuff that happened, the hospital, the spaceships, Prisoner Zero-" Amy said looking up at the TARDIS.

"Oh, don't worry, that's just the beginning, there's loads more." The Doctor said trying to be impressive again.

"Yeah, but those things, those... amazing things, all that stuff." Amy said as the Doctor nodded happily like he knew where all this was going, but Amy suddenly stepped towards him, looking harder. "That was two YEARS ago!"

"Ooohhh. Oops." The Doctor said

"Yeah." I said staring at him

"So that's..." the Doctor said carefully

"Fourteen years!" Amy replied

"Fourteen years since fish custard. Amy Pond and Avery Pond. The girls who waited, you've waited long enough." The Doctor said

"...When I was a kid, you said there was a swimming pool. And a library, and the swimming pool was in the library." Amy said

"Yeah. Not sure where it's got to now, it'll turn up! So! Coming?" The Doctor asked us

Amy shook her head and said "No."

"You wanted to come fourteen years ago." The Doctor said

"I grew up."Amy said "We grew up." She corrected looking at me.

"Don't worry. I'll soon fix that" He said as he clicked his fingers, the TARDIS door opens and a deep orange glow spills out as we stared inside. Amy glanced briefly to the Doctor who was looking just a little smug, and then laughs, before slowly stepping inside. I followed carefully, and the Doctor stepped in behind us closing the door. He moved around us to head up to the console as we took our time. I stared around, wide-eyed.

"Well? Anything you wanna say? Any passing remarks? I've heard them all." The Doctor said, as we were completely lost for words. He ran up to the console doing a little bounce as he reached it. The TARDIS on the inside was so beautiful and complex, and I could never describe it. Amy said " ...I'm in my nightie."

I whispered loudly "Finally..." not in reply to Amy of course.

"Oh, don't worry! Plenty of clothes in the wardrobe. And, possibly, a swimming pool. So! All of time, and space, everything that ever happened or that ever will. Where do you wanna start?" He asked us. Amy and I stopped staring around to look at the Doctor. I skipped up to him while Amy stalked up to him.

"You are so sure that I'm coming." Amy said

"Yeah. I am" The Doctor said

"Why?"

"Cause you're the Scottish girl, in the English village, and I know how that feels." He replied, as they wandered around the console both prodding things they probably shouldn't.

"Oh, do you?" She said

"Well, all these years living here, most of your life, and you've still got that accent. Yeah, you're coming." He said as he dings a little bell on the console.

"Can you get me back for tomorrow morning?" Amy asked

"It's a time machine. I can get you back for five minutes ago. Why? What's tomorrow?" The Doctor asked

" Nothing. Nothing! Just, you know. Stuff." Amy replied and I gave her a hard look before turning my back on her walking over to the other side of the Doctor.

"All right, then. Back in time for 'stuff'." He said and suddenly there was a new sonic screwdriver raising itself out of the console which the Doctor snatched up gleefully "Oh, a new one! Lovely." He whispered to the TARDIS something I couldn't hear. He then started musing around the console.

"Why me?" Amy asked suddenly in the silence

"Why not?"

"No, seriously. You are asking me to run away with you in the middle of the night, it's a fair question. Why me?" Amy said, I knew she didn't ask about us. I was the one who still dreamt about travelling with him.

"Dunno! Fun! Do I have to have a reason?"

"People always have a reason."

"Do I look like people?"

"Yes!" Amy replied

"Been knocking around on my own for a while, my choice, but I've started talking to myself, all the time, it's giving me earache." The Doctor replied

"You're lonely. That's it. Just that." Amy answered, and they both wandered around to face each other.

"Just that. Promise." The Doctor said

"Okay." Amy said

"So you're okay then? Cause this place. Sometimes it can make people feel a bit... you know." The Doctor said carefully.

"I'm fine. Fine. It's just... there's a whole world in here, just like you said. It's all true. I thought, well, I'd, I'd started to think that maybe you were just like a... madman with a box." Amy said

"Amy Pond, there's something you better understand about me, cause it's important, and one day, your life may depend on it. I am definitely a madman with a box." The Doctor said as he grinned broadly at her until she does, then he laughs and she laughs too. He turned and started to dart around the console. I grinned wider than the both of them. He jams down a lever and we cling to the console as the TARDIS began to dematerialise, we were all laughing the whole time.  **And soon enough, we were off. We were off onto our next adventure!**

**To Be Continued in The Beast Below!**


	6. Chapter 5: Our First Destination

**RECAP:  “Amy Pond, there's something you better understand about me, cause it's important, and one day, your life may depend on it. I am definitely a madman with a box.” The Doctor said as he grinned broadly at her until she does, then he laughs and she laughs too. He turned and started to dart around the console. I grinned wider than the both of them. He jams down a lever and we cling to the console as the TARDIS began to dematerialise, we were all laughing the whole time. And soon enough, we were off. We were off onto our next adventure!**

Avery's POV

I watched as Amy floated outside of the TARDIS, I just had my turn. Last night, the Doctor came back for us. I was so happy and mad at the same time. But forget the fact he left us for 12 years, come back for one day and leave again for two years! He came back and we’re in his spaceship. “Come on, Pond.” The Doctor said as he pulled Amy back inside “Now do you believe me?” He asked Amy.

“OK, your box is a spaceship. It's really, really a spaceship. We are in space! Whoo! What are we breathing?” Amy asked

“I've extended the air shell - we're fine.” The Doctor saw something below us, and squats at the door. _“_  Now, that's interesting.” I came over and looked out, I saw a spaceship. “29th Century. Solar flares roast the earth,” We walked to the console “and the entire human race packs its bags” He worked at the controls “and moves out till the weather improves. Whole nations...” He told us.

“Doctor?”Amy said, from somewhere.

“...migrating to the stars.” The Doctor continued as if he didn’t hear Amy.

“Doctor?” Amy said again. I looked around as I saw Amy wasn’t with us. I walked back over to the door where Amy was outside clinging to the roof of the TARDIS. “Isn’t that amazing?” The Doctor finished off, still not noticing that Amy wasn’t inside the TARDIS and I wasn’t next to him.

“DOCTOR!” I yelled, he looked up from the console to see that neither of us was there. He pulled Amy down, and said “Well, come on. I’ve found us a spaceship.” We walked back in, after I closed the doors to the TARDIS so no one got sucked out again. The Doctor pulled up the spaceship that we were above on the monitor of the TARDIS. “This is the United Kingdom of Britain and Northern Ireland - all of it, bolted together and floating in the sky. Starship UK. It's Britain, but metal. That's not just a ship - that's an idea. That's a whole country, living and laughing and...shopping.” Amy chuckled “Searching the stars for a new home.”The Doctor said.

“Can we go out and see?” Amy and I asked.

“Course we can but first, there's a thing.”

“A thing?

“An important thing. In fact, thing one –“He looked through a magnifying glass “we are observers only. That's the one rule I've always stuck to in my travels. I never get involved in the affairs of other peoples or planets. Ooh! That's interesting.”The screen showed a little girl sitting alone crying.

“So we're like a wildlife documentary, yeah? Cos if they see a wounded little cub or something, they can't just save it - they've got to keep filming and let it die.”We watched the little girl “That’s got to be hard. I don't think I could do that. Don't you find that   
hard - being all, like, detached and cold?” We then saw the Doctor pop up onscreen with the crying girl, who then ran away from him.  _“_ Doctor?” Amy said, the Doctor looked into the camera and waved for us to join him. I smiled and ran out of the TARDIS to join him.

 

I exited the TARDIS to find myself in a market. Above me was an arched glass ceiling which I could see the stars through it. The market was a series of stalls and booths very similar to a contemporary marketplace back on Earth. Amy stepped out just behind me, she looked around in wonder and said “I’m in the future. Like hundreds...of years in the future. I've been dead for centuries.”

“Oh, lovely. You're a cheery one.” The Doctor said as he popped up beside us. He took Amy by the arm and me by the hand. “Never mind dead, look at this place. Isn't it wrong?”

“What’s wrong?” I asked

“Use your eyes, notice everything. What's wrong with this picture?” He replied

“Is it... the bicycles?” Amy replied pointing at the rickshaw. I shook my head, I knew the Doctor was right. It wasn’t right, not normal. There was a girl crying and no one was even bothering to ask why. Something was up, I didn’t see it before, but I noticed it now that the Doctor pointed out that there was something wrong with the place.

“Says the girl in the nightie.” The Doctor said to Amy.

“Oh, my God! I'm in my nightie.” Amy said once again, I shook my head at her. This is why I always wore a baggy t-shirt and shorts to bed. Just in case he ever came back and swept us away in the middle of the night, like he did. Or if I was called into work immediately, which doesn’t happen often but happened often enough.

“Now, come on, look around you. Actually look. Life on a giant starship, back to basics. Bicycles, washing lines, wind-up street lamps. But look closer. Secrets and shadows, lives led in fear. Society bent out of shape, on the brink of collapse. A police state. Excuse me. ” The Doctor said, before he ran over to a table outside a cafe, he took a glass of water from one of the people sitting there. He set it gently on the floor and looked at it intently. He set the glass back on the table. “Sorry. Checking all the water in this area. There's an escaped fish.” He tapped the side of his nose and rejoined us. “Where was I?”

“Why did you just do that with the water?” Amy asked

“Don't know. I think a lot. It's hard to keep track. Now, police state - do you see it yet?” The Doctor replied

“Where?” Amy asked again

“There.” The Doctor snapped and pointed at the little girl sitting alone on a bench crying. Everyone walked past, ignoring her. We headed towards her and sat on a bench facing her.

“One little girl crying. So?” Amy said

“Crying silently. I mean, children cry cos they want attention, cos they're hurt or afraid. When they cry silently, it's cos they just can't stop. Any parent knows that.” The Doctor replied knowingly.

“Are you a parent?” I asked curiously, he looked startled at the question I asked but didn’t answer.

“Hundreds of parents walking past this spot and not one of them's asking her what's wrong, which means...they already know, and it's something they don't talk about. Secrets. They're not helping her, so it's something they're afraid of. Shadows - whatever they're afraid of - it's nowhere to be seen, which means it's everywhere. Police state.” The Doctor said, she got up as the lift bell rung and a figure in a nearby booth turns to watch her. I looked at the figure confused, what was it?

“Where’d she go?” Amy asked

“Deck 207, Apple Sesame block, Dwelling 54A. You're looking for Mandy Tanner. Oh,” He reached into his pocket pulling out an ID wallet “this fell out of her pocket when I accidentally bumped into her.” He handed Amy the wallet “Took me four goes. Ask her about those things - the smiling fellows in the booths. They're everywhere.” The Doctor said

“But they’re just things.” Amy said

“But they’re not. There’s something off about them, like they have a sinister side to them. They give me the chills.” I replied and leaned my head against the Doctor’s shoulder.

“They're clean. Everything else here is battered and filthy - look at this place. But no-one's laid a finger on those booths. Not a footprint within two feet of them. Ask Mandy, "Why are people scared of the things in the booths?"” The Doctor said as he patted my knee.

“No. Hang on - what do I do?” Amy asked then added in a whisper “I don't know what I'm doing here and I'm not even dressed!”

“It's this or Leadworth. What do you think? Let's see. What will Amy Pond choose? Ha-ha, gotcha!” He checked his watch and added “Meet us back here in half an hour.” He replied

“What are you going to do?” Amy asked

“What I always do. Stay out of trouble.” He stood up as well helping me up. “Badly.” He leaped over a bench and started to walk away. Amy got up and faced him.

“So is this how it works, Doctor? You never interfere in the affairs of other peoples or planets, unless there's children crying?” Amy said as I caught up to the Doctor.

“Yes.” The Doctor replied as he took my hand, we walked away to whatever the Doctor had in mind.  **I had a feeling it had to do with the engines.**


	7. Chapter 6: 20 Minutes I Forgot

Avery's POV

The Doctor and I had just left Amy to interrogate Mandy, and ask about the creepy figures. While we were now climbing down a ladder to where the engine room should be located in a ship. As soon as we got down, the Doctor placed his hands on the wall before leaning in to listen. I joked "Do you need a water glass to hear?" He gave me a look that said not now. I held my hands up in surrender before looking around us. "Can't be." The Doctor said before using his sonic to get a reading. He then saw a glass of water on the floor. He lied down and stared at it.

I raised an eyebrow with my hands on my hips, but not saying anything. He was thinking, and I wasn't about to disturb it after my remark earlier. A woman with a hood and golden mask approached us and whispered to the Doctor "The impossible truth in a glass of water. Not many people see it. But you do, don't you, Doctor?"

"You know me?" The Doctor replied

"Keep your voice down. They're everywhere. Tell me what you see in the glass." The masked lady whispered again. I wondered if she was of royalty or something. Like a noble and rich. She seemed to have that air about her, the way she spoke and held herself.

"Who says I see anything?" The Doctor said.

"Don't waste time. At the marketplace, you placed a glass of water on the floor, looked at it, then came straight here to the engine room. Why?" the woman replied in her whispered tone.

"No engine vibration on deck. Ship this size, engine this big, you'd feel it. The water would move. So...I thought I'd take a look." He opened a power box on the wall. "It doesn't make sense. These power couplings, they're not connected. Look. Look - they're dummies, see?" He crossed the hall and tapped the wall. "And behind this wall, nothing. It's hollow. If I didn't know better, I'd say there was..." The Doctor reasoned.

"No engine at all." The woman finished for him. I crossed my arms, and leaned against the wall. I was having strange feelings towards the Doctor. Strange feelings indeed.

"But it's working. This ship is travelling though space. I saw it." The Doctor answered.

"The impossible truth, Doctor. We're travelling among the stars in a spaceship that could never fly." The woman replied.

"How?" The Doctor asked

"I don't know. There's a darkness at the heart of this nation. It threatens every one of us. Help us, Doctor. You're our only hope. Your friend is safe." She replied and handed him a device. "This will take you to her. Now go, quickly!" She began to walk away from us, I was wondering what in the world happened to Amy.

"Who are you? How do I find you again?" The Doctor asked. The woman turned to face the Doctor, and whispered "I am Liz 10. And I will find you." We heard a crashing sort of sound, the Doctor looked around and I looked behind us. When we turned back to Liz 10, she was gone, vanished. I took the Doctor's hand and said "Let's go find Amy." He nodded, we started walking towards where Amy should be, according to the device, but not before he looked back at where Liz 10 once was.

We arrived at this voting station thing. We found Mandy outside of rooms. I looked around us and said "Well the device led us here... Where's Amy? I wonder what these things are." The Doctor looked around for Amy, I was expecting him to answer but Mandy answered for him "Your friend is in there. These are voting booths. You're welcome to vote as you wait."

I looked at the Doctor, who didn't give me any indication whether I should or shouldn't. I let go of his hand, and went into one of the cubicles. I sat in the chair in front of these four monitors, which were like old televisions. A computerized voice said "Welcome to voting cubicle 330B. Please leave this installation as you would wish to find it. The United Kingdom recognises the right to know of all its citizens." In front of me, there were three large buttons, one that said  **Protest** , another with  **Record** , and the last one with  **Forget**. "A presentation concerning the history of Starship UK will begin shortly. Your identity is being verified on our electoral roll. Name – Avery Alecia Pond. Age - 1,306. Marital status – Single."

The four screens changed, as a video started showing an older man as a presenter. He began talking "You are here because you want to know the truth about this starship, and I am talking to you because you're entitled to know. When this presentation has finished, you will have a choice. You may either protest...or forget. If you choose to protest, understand this. If just 1% of the population of this ship do likewise, the programme will be discontinued, with consequences for you all. If you choose to accept the situation - and we hope that you will - then press the "forget" button. All the information I am about to give you will be erased from your memory. You will continue to enjoy the safety and amenities of Starship UK, unburdened by the knowledge of what has been done to save you. Here, then, is the truth about Starship UK, and the price that has been paid for the safety of the British people. May God have mercy on our souls." Before I knew it, images flashed across the screens. I gasped and hit the  **Forget** button. I wiped tears that I didn't know I had cried. A video message appeared on the screen, it was from myself. This was odd... "This isn't a trick. You've got to find the Doctor and get him back to the TARDIS. Don't let him investigate. Stop him. Do whatever you have to. Just please, please get the Doctor off this ship!" I stepped out as the Doctor was done waiting for Amy, he grabbed my arm and dragged me to the room right next to the room I had been in.

"Amy? What have you done?" The doctor asked as we walked into the room, he was on the chair using the sonic on the lamp above. "Yeah, your basic memory wipe job. Must have erased about 20 minutes. Same with you Avery." He jumped to the floor.

"But why would we choose to forget?" I asked

"Cos everyone does. Everyone chooses the  **forget**  button." Answered Mandy.

"Did you?" asked the Doctor.

"I'm not eligible to vote yet. I'm 12. Any time after you're 16, you're allowed to the see the film and make your choice. And then, once every five years..." Mandy replied

"And once every five years, everyone chooses to forget what they've learned. Democracy in action." The Doctor said before heading back to the monitors.

"How do you not know about this? Are you Scottish too?" Mandy asked the Doctor.

"Oh, I'm way worse than Scottish. I can't even see the movie. Won't play for me." The Doctor replied

"It played for me." Amy answered

"Me too." I added

"The difference being the computer doesn't accept me as human." the Doctor said

"Why not?" The Doctor and I looked at her. "You look human." Amy joined us.

"No, you look Time Lord. We came first." The Doctor answered. Jack had told me that the Doctor was a Time Lord.

"So there are other Time Lords, yeah?" asked Amy.

"No. There were, but there aren't... Just me now. Long story. There was a bad day. Bad stuff happened, and you know what? I'd love to forget it all, every last bit of it, but I don't. Not ever. Cos this is what I do - every time, every day, every second. This. Hold tight. We're bringing down the government." the Doctor pounded the  **Protest** button, and the door slammed shut, leaving Mandy outside. The Figure of a man in his booth, turned to show his very angry face. He pulled us into the corner of the room as the floor slides open.

" **Say, Wheeee!" said the Doctor. Amy and I screamed as we fell down the chute.**


	8. Chapter 7: Star Whales, Failing the Doctor, Dead Walks

_Avery’s POV_

We fell out of the chute with a scream. The floor was squishy and wet, seemed like a cave with rubbish. A rubbish chute as well the refusal pile? I got up frowning at the smell, it was disgusting. I looked over at where Amy and the Doctor fell. The Doctor stood up and started using his sonic. “High-speed air cannon. Lousy way to travel.” He said

“Where are we?” Amy asked

“600 feet down, 20 miles laterally - puts us at the heart of the ship. I'd say... Lancashire. What's this, then - a cave? Can't be a cave. Looks like a cave.” The Doctor replied and Amy stood up. I felt bad for her, she was wearing a nightie. The Doctor and I at least had some sort of pants.

“It’s a rubbish dump, and it’s minging!” Amy said as she threw a piece of rubbish.

“Yes, but only food refuse.” The Doctor sniffed “Organic, coming through feeder tubes from all over the ship.” I tried to take a step towards them and slipped.

“The floor’s all squidgy, like a water bed.” I said

“But feeding what, though?” The Doctor asked as he was thinking aloud.

“It’s sort of rubbery, feel it. Wet and slimy.” I added, we heard a distant moaning and the Doctor stood up from where he was feeling the floor. He had a sudden realization look, it seemed like he figured out where we were.

“Er... It's not a floor, it's a...” He put his screwdriver away “So...” He said

Amy got over to where I was having a hard time getting up. I would get to where I was standing on my feet but slip again. I growled and Amy helped me up. We carefully made our way to the Doctor. “It’s a what?” Amy asked, I nodded with a questioning look.

“The next word is kind of the scary word. Take a moment. Get yourself in a calm place.” He took both of our hands and told us “Go omm”

“Omm.” Amy and I said together giving the Doctor strange looks.

“It’s a tongue.” He said

“A tongue?” Amy asked

“A tongue. A great big tongue.” The Doctor said excitedly.

“This is a mouth? This whole place is a mouth? We're in a mouth?!” Amy said stunned.

“Yes, yes, yes, but on the plus side, roomy.” He replied

“How do we get out?” I asked

The Doctor took out his sonic again and said “How big is this beastie? It's gorgeous! Blimey! If this is just the mouth, I'd love to see the stomach.” I could hear grunting and he added “Though not right now.”

“Doctor, how do we get out?” I asked again

“OK, it's being fed through surgically implanted feeder tubes, so the normal entrance is...” He looked ahead and saw sharp teeth of a closed mouth. “closed for business.”

“We can try, though.” Amy said started too head towards the teeth.

“No! Stop, don't move!” The mouth started to heave in agitation “Too late. It’s started.” He said

“What has?” Amy asked as I gave her an ‘are you kidding me?’ look.

“Swallow reflex.” The Doctor and I said at the same time, I looked over at him right before we all slipped and fall back into the refuse. He used his sonic on the mouth walls.

“What are you doing?” Amy asked

“I’m vibrating the chemo-receptors.” The Doctor replied

“Chemo-what?” Amy replied

“The eject button.” I answered for the Doctor as I got ready to be covered in vomit.

“How does a mouth have an eject button?” Amy asked

“Think about it!” The Doctor and I said together right before we heard the creature growl, on our knees, we looked to see a wave of bile coming towards us.

“Right, then.” He straightened his bowtie. “This isn’t going to be big on diginity. Geronimo!” Amy yelled, I closed my eyes and held my breath. I heard a great grunting and lot of splashing. We then found ourselves out of the mouth and back in the ship. I was trying to shake off excess bile. This was going to require a shower. The Doctor started to examine the door. “There's nothing broken, there's no sign of concussion and yes, you are covered in sick.”

“Where are we?” Amy asked

“Overspill pipe, at a guess.” The Doctor replied as Amy stood up.

“Oh, God, it stinks.” Amy said.

“That’s not the pipe.”

“Oh.” She smelled herself “Whoo! Can we get out?” Amy asked

“One door, one door switch, one condition.” He moved to show the  **Forget** button on the door. “We forget everything we saw. Look familiar? That's the carrot.” The lights came on to reveal two of those freaky smiling head things. “Ooh, here's the stick. There's a creature living in the heart of this ship. What's it doing there?” The faces spun to show mad. “No, that's not going to work on me, so come on. Big old beast below decks, and everyone who protests gets shoved down its throat. That how it works?” The faces spun again to show anger. “Oh, stop it. I'm not leaving and I'm not forgetting and what are you fellows going to do about it? Stick out your tongues?” The booths open and the heads with no bodies stood up showing that they did have bodies. They walked towards us as we backed away.

“Doctor?” Amy asked, as then the masked lady appeared again but without her mask. Liz 10 shot the figures and twirled her pistol before placing it back in its holster.

“Look who it is. You look a lot better without your mask.”

“You must be Amy. Liz. Liz 10.” Liz said to Amy.

“Hi.” Amy said as she shook her hand.

Liz made a disgusted noise and wiped her hand on her cloak. “Lovely hair, Amy. Shame about the sick.” She headed for the door. “You know Mandy, yeah?” She put her arm around Mandy’s shoulder “She’s very brave.”

“How did you find us?” The Doctor asked

“Stuck my gizmo on you.” She threw her device at him “Been listening in. Nice moves on the hurl escape. So, what's the big fella doing here?”

“You're over 16, you've voted. Whatever this is, you've chosen to forget about it.” He said

“No. Never forgot, never voted. Not technically a British subject.”  She replied, I smirked. I had an idea with all of the indications that she had given us so far. I was pretty sure; she had to be the Queen.

“Then who and what are you, and how do you know me?”

“You're a bit hard to miss, love. Mysterious stranger, MO consistent with higher alien intelligence, hair of an idiot...” The Doctor pointed at her like he’s about to argue but ran his hand through his soaked hair instead “I've been brought up on the stories. My whole family was.” She answered

“Your family?” The Doctor asked, and then one of the figures began to move again.

“They're repairing. Doesn't take them long. Let's move.” Liz said and we left the overspill.

 

She explained who she was as we walked down the lower corridors of the ship.“The Doctor. Old drinking buddy of Henry XII. Tea and scones with Liz II. Vicky was a bit on the fence about you, weren't she? Knighted and exiled you on the same day. And so much for the Virgin Queen, you bad, bad boy!”

“Liz 10?” The Doctor asked and another figure rose of a booth in the corridor.

“Liz 10, yeah. Elizabeth X. And down!” We ducked as she turned and fired both pistols at the figures, both fall. “I'm the bloody Queen, mate. Basically, I rule.” She took us into another corridor. It’s the base of a vator shaft.

“There's a high-speed Vator through there.” The Doctor looked into a caged area where there were these pincer things. Like a tail of a scorpion. “Oh, yeah. There's these things. Any ideas?” Liz asked us

“Doctor, I saw one of these up top. There was a hole in the road, like it had burst through, like a root.” Amy said

“Exactly like a root. It's all one creature - the same one we were inside - reaching out. It must be growing through the mechanisms of the entire ship.” The Doctor said

“What? Like an infestation?” Liz asked

“Someone's helping it. Feeding it.” He replied

“Feeding my subjects to it. Come on. We've got to keep moving.” She stormed off in anger and Mandy followed her.

“Doctor?” We asked

“Oh, Amy. Avery.” He looked sympathetically at the creatures as they bang against the bars. “We should never have come here.” I remembered my video message. It haunted me. I wished I could remember what was in the video. We walked in the direction that Liz had headed and caught up to her. The Doctor walked carefully through the maze of glasses on the floor of Liz’s room. “Why all of the glasses?” The Doctor asked

“To remind me every single day that my government is up to something, and it's my duty to find out what.” Liz answered while she sat on her bed.

The Doctor picked up her mask “A queen going undercover to investigate her own kingdom?”

“Secrets are being kept from me. I don't have a choice. Ten years I've been at this - my entire reign - and you've achieved more in one afternoon.” Liz answered.

The Doctor paced the space in her room that wasn’t full of glasses. “How old were you when you came to the throne?”

“40. Why?” Liz asked

Amy pulled her hair up. “What, you're 50 now? No way!” Amy, Mandy, and I were sitting on the chaise on the foot of the bed.

“Yeah, they slowed my body clock. Keeps me looking like the stamps.” Liz replied

The Doctor sat on the bed, still holding the mask.“And you always wear this in public?”

“Undercover's not easy when you're me. The autographs, the bunting.”

“Air-balanced porcelain. Stays on by itself, cos it's perfectly sculpted to your face.” The Doctor said

“Yeah. So what?” Liz asked

“Oh, Liz. So everything.” The Doctor replied, the door opened and four hooded men entered.

“What are you doing? How dare you come in here?” Liz said outraged.

“Ma'am, you have expressed interest in the interior workings of Starship UK. You will come with us now.” The man replied

“Why would I do that?” Liz asked and then the hooded man spun to show the face of an angry figure.

“How can they be Smilers?” Amy asked

“Half Smiler, half human.” The Doctor replied

“Whatever you creatures are, I am still your queen. On whose authority is this done?” Liz commanded to its face.

“The highest authority, Ma’am.” The half Smiler replied

“I AM the highest authority.” Liz said

“Yes, ma'am. You must go now, Ma'am.” It said

“Where?”

“The Tower, Ma'am.” It said; as we were escorted to a large stone room contain high-tech machines. There is a grating through which Amy and I saw more of the scorpion tail creatures.

“Doctor, where are we?” I asked

“The lowest point of Starship UK.” He spun with his arms out as he said “The Dungeon.”

“Ma’am.” A gray-haired man said coming out of nowhere.

“Hawthorne! So this is where you hid yourself away. I think you've got some explaining to do.” Liz exclaimed

“There's children down here. What's all that about?” The Doctor asked Hawthorne.

“Protesters and citizens of limited value are fed to the beast. For some reason, it won't eat the children. You're the first adults it's spared. You're very lucky.” Hawthorne replied

“Yeah, look at us. Torture chamber of the Tower of London. Lucky, lucky, lucky. Except it's not a torture chamber, is it?” the Doctor examined the equipment around the dungeon. “Well, except it is. Except it isn't. Depends on your angle.” He said as joined Liz by an open well sort of thing with a railing around it, inside there seemed to be something alive as I joined them on the other side of Liz.

“What’s that?” Liz asked

“Well, like I say, depends on the angle. It's either the exposed pain centre of big fella's brain, being tortured relentlessly...” He replied

“Or?”

“Or it's the gas pedal, the accelerator - Starship UK's go-faster button.” The Doctor said carefully.

“I don’t understand.” Liz said, I blinked as I thought it out. They were torturing an innocent creature that was being their engine, their mode of movement. I looked around us for a way to release it. My gaze fell onto Amy, who looked at me. We had a telepathic communication, we agreed that we had to save it but it was different. There had to be a way to save it but also saves Starship UK, and then I figured it out.

“Don't you? Try, go on. The spaceship that could never fly, no vibration on deck. This creature - this poor, trapped, terrified creature. It's not infesting you, it's not invading - it's what you have instead of an engine. And this place down here is where you hurt it, where you torture it, day after day, just to keep it moving.” An intermittent electrical beam shot down into the creature’s exposed brain. “Tell you what.” He moved to another well and lifts the grate. “Normally, it's above the range of human hearing.” One of the extensions of the creature breaks free. “This is the sound none of you wanted to hear.” He used his sonic and we heard the creature’s call, the mournful screams.

“Stop it.” Liz said as she couldn’t take it anymore, the Doctor stopped using his sonic and she said to Hawthorne “Who did this?”

“We act on instructions from the highest authority.” He replied

“I am the highest authority. The creature will be released, now. I said now!” No one moved “Is anyone listening to me?”

“Liz. Your mask.” The Doctor said, still holding her mask.

“What about my mask?” She asked, he tossed the mask to her.

“Look at it. It's old. At least 200 years old, I'd say.” He said

“Yeah, it's an antique, so?” Liz replied

“Yeah, an antique made by craftsmen over 200 years ago and perfectly sculpted to your face. They slowed your body clock, all right, but you're not 50. Nearer 300. And it's been a long old reign.” He replied

“Nah, it's ten years. I've been on this throne ten years.”

“Ten years. And the same ten years over and over again,” He took her by the hand “always leading you...” he showed her the voting area. “here.” The buttons read  **Forget** and  **Abdicate**.

“What have you done?” Liz asked Hawthorne.

“Only what you have ordered. We work for you, Ma'am. The Winders, the Smilers, all of us.” He replied turning on the screen.

A recording of Liz popped up on screen, like mine. “If you are watching this...If I am watching this, then I have found my way to the Tower Of London.” The real Liz sat down as she watched “The creature you are looking at is called a Star Whale. Once, there were millions of them. They lived in the depths of space and, according to legend, guided the early space travelers through the asteroid belts. This one, as far as we are aware, is the last of its kind.  _And what we have done to it breaks my heart_.” We watched in silence “he Earth was burning. Our sun had turned on us, and every other nation had fled to the skies. Our children screamed as the skies grew hotter. And then it came, like a miracle. The last of the star whales. We trapped it, we built our ship around it, and we rode on its back to safety. If you wish our voyage to continue, then you must press the  **Forget**  button.” Liz looked at the button. “Be again the heart of this nation, untainted. If not, press the other button.” She looked at  **Abdicate**. “Your reign will end, the Star Whale will be released, and our ship will disintegrate. I hope I keep the strength to make the right decision.”

“I voted for this?” Amy said to the Doctor “Why would I do that?” I nodded, agreeing with her. Even though I kind of knew. The reason, the same reason of why we were here.

“Because you knew if we stayed here, I'd be faced with an impossible choice. Humanity or the alien. You took it upon yourself to save me from that. And that was wrong. You don't ever decide what I need to know.” The Doctor answered. He turned to me and said “Same goes for you Avery. No use in trying to pretend that you didn’t hit  **Forget**.” He looked away from me, that hurt for some reason. My chest hurt as I saw the disappointment and hurt in the Doctor’s eyes. We had failed him.

“I don't even remember doing it.” Amy said, I just stared at the Doctor.

“You did it. That's what counts.” He replied

“I'm... I'm sorry.” Amy and I said together.

“Oh, I don't care. When I'm done here, you're going home. “ He said as he walked away to the instrument panels.

“Why? Because I made a mistake? One mistake? I don't even remember doing it. “ Amy said to the Doctor, kind of angered.

“Doctor!” I said

“Yeah. I know. You're only human.” He replied as he examined the instrument panels.

“What are you doing?” Liz 10 asked

“The worst thing I'll ever do. I'm going to pass a massive electrical charge through the Star Whale's brain. Should knock out all its higher functions, leave it a vegetable. The ship will still fly, but the whale won't feel it.” He replied

“That'll be like killing it.” Amy said.

“Look, three options. One: I let the Star Whale continue in unendurable agony for hundreds more years. Two: I kill everyone on this ship. Three: I murder a beautiful, innocent creature as painlessly as I can. And then I find a new name, cos I won't be the Doctor any more.”

“There must be something we can do, some other way.” Liz said

“Nobody talk to me. Nobody human has anything to say to me today!” He said angrily. Amy, Mandy, and I sat against the wall, watching helplessly as the Doctor worked. I stared at him with sad eyes, the one chance I had to travel with him, like I always wanted and I blew it. I looked away as I couldn’t stand it anymore. I was about to cry and I haven’t cried since he left the first time. Thankfully my attention was drawn away from the emotions inside me as three children entered the room.

“Timmy!” Mandy exclaimed excitedly as she got up and went to him “You made it, you’re Ok!” Timmy said nothing “it’s me - Mandy.” They stopped in front of one of the feelers and Mandy had her back to it. The feeler reached towards Mandy and Amy started to move forward. But surprisingly, instead of hurting Mandy, it gently tapped her on the back and lets her pet it. I started to understand, the whale was the last of its kind, and you grow kind and wise as you age. It couldn’t stand to see a child cry... It was like the Doctor. And if it was like the Doctor then...

I came out of my thoughts as I saw Mandy and Timmy petting the feeler.

“Doctor, stop.” Amy and I said together as we went to the Doctor. I looked at her surprised, but I knew she had the same thoughts as me. “Whatever you're doing, stop it now!” Amy continued she went to Liz taking her hand. “Sorry, Your Majesty, going to need a hand.” She led her to the buttons.

“Amy, no! No!” The Doctor said as he rushed over, I walked over till I was next to Amy. Amy had Liz’s hand on  **Abdicate** , I put my hand over Amy’s which was covering Liz’s. I nodded at Amy, together we forced Liz’s hand to press the button. The whale bellows and the whole ship shakes.

“What have you done?” The Doctor asked us.

“Nothing at all. Are we right?” We said together. We let Liz’s hand go and held each other’s hands.

“We’ve INCREASED speed.” Hawthorne reported.

“Yeah, well, you’ve stopped torturing the pilot. Gotta help.” Amy said smiling.

“It’s still here? I don’t understand.”

“The Star Whale didn't come like a miracle all those years ago. It volunteered. You didn't have to trap it or torture it - that was all just you. It came because it couldn't stand to watch your children cry. What if you were really old, and really kind and alone? Your whole race dead, no future. What couldn't you do then? If you were that old, and that kind, and the very last of your kind...” I said looking over at Amy to finish, I still couldn’t look at the Doctor. Amy continued for me as she said to the Doctor “You couldn't just stand there and watch children cry.” Just as Amy finished, I took a quick look at the Doctor and scurried out of the room to one of rooms on the Observation Deck. It would be the last time...

 

_Third Person POV_

 

The Doctor was standing alone looking out onto the starship. Amy joined him saying “From Her Majesty.” Holding out the mask. “She says there will be no more secrets on Starship UK.”

“Amy, you two could have killed everyone on this ship.” The Doctor said

“You could have killed a Star Whale.” Amy replied in the same tone.

He faced her and said “And you saved it. I know, I know.”

“Amazing, though, don't you think? The Star Whale. All that pain and misery... and loneliness.” She looked sideways at the Doctor “And it just made it kind.”

“But you couldn't have known how it would react.” He said

“YOU couldn't. But I've seen it before. Very old and very kind, and the very, very last. Sound a bit familiar?” They hugged “Hey.”

“What?” The Doctor replied confused.

“Gotcha.” She said smiling.

“Ha! Gotcha.” He said as squeezed her.

“You should go talk to Avery. She was the one who had dreamed of traveling with you through time and space. She always wanted to since we were 7. She was the one who never stopped believing that you would come back. Go!” Amy said to the Doctor as she let go of him, shoving him in the direction where Avery resided on the deck.

 

_Avery’s POV_

 

I was on the deck staring out at the stars and planets. I felt a mix of emotions; anger, disappointment, sadness, that mystery feeling, and failure. I had failed the Doctor causing for us to be sent home. And there is nothing I can do now. But at least Amy and I had saved an entire ship as well the one lone Star Whale left in existence. I leaned against the railing still in my thoughts when a voice said “Avery, you and Amy were right.” I stared at the slight reflection on the glass, of the Doctor and I. I stayed quiet, as I waited for what else he had to say.

“Avery, speak to me. Please. I’m not sending you two home. Are you angry at me?”

“No. I feel full of failure, even though I saved so many.” I replied. He didn’t say anything, just side-hugged me. I choked up as I was about to cry, and turned grasping him tightly in a hug. He patted me on the back. Thankfully I didn’t cry, and I let go of him. I stared at the floor, and the Doctor spoke up. “I once knew a girl like you. The similarity between you two, is uncanny. The only difference, is that she’s a lot older than you when I met her. She was brave and knew where she stood in life. She wasn’t really afraid of anything... except failure. Failing those she cared for and loved dearly. I almost lost her once when she basically almost sacrificed herself to save those she loved. It was the day that Earth was stolen from the solar system. The day that there were planets in the sky. I think she’s dead now, haven’t heard from those people at Torchwood Three.” I looked up quickly, a little nervous. Wondering if he discovered my little secret, but I nodded. I was curious as to who this girl was. There was a little anger inside of me hearing how he talked of her. It was like he was in love with her. But I was kidding myself, he probably just admired her.  “Let’s go. Can’t keep Amy waiting.” I said and he nodded.

We walked together back to the TARDIS. We met up with Amy in the market.

“Shouldn't we say goodbye? Won't they wonder where we went?” Amy asked

“For the rest of their lives. Oh, the songs they'll write! Never mind them. Big day tomorrow.” The Doctor said, I gave Amy a quick glance as she choked.

“Sorry, what?”Amy asked

“It’s always a big day tomorrow. We've got a time machine. I skip the little ones.” The Doctor replied unlocking the TARDIS.

“You know what I said about getting back for tomorrow morning... Have you ever run away from something because you were scared, or not ready, or just... Just because you could?” Amy replied, I gave her a look, a little angered.

“Once...a long time ago.”  The Doctor said

“What happened?” I asked

“Hello!” The Doctor said, and we heard a phone ringing out of nowhere.

“Right. Doctor, there's something I haven't told you. No. Hang on, is that a phone ringing?” Amy said, I smirked as she was about to tell him about the upcoming wedding. We walked into the TARDIS. “People phone you?” She asked

“Well, it's a phone box. Would you mind?” He said as he prepared to dematerialize, gesturing to the phone. I went to pick it up but Amy beat me to it. I gave her a mock glare and stuck my tongue out at her, which she returned.

“Hello? Sorry, who? No, seriously. Who?” Amy said into the phone, and she muffled the phone against her shoulder as she said to the Doctor “Says he's Prime Minister. First the Queen, now the Prime Minister. Get about, don't you?”

“Which Prime Minister?” He asked as he motioned to me to pull a lever, which I did.

“Er, which Prime Minister?” Amy said into the phone, and she said to the Doctor “The British one.”

“Which British one? “

“Which British one?” Amy asked into the phone, to which her eyes widened and she passed the phone to the Doctor “Winston Churchill for you.”

“Oh! Hello, dear. What's up? Don’t worry about a thing, Prime Minister. We’re on our way.” He said as we dematerialized. Just as we did, my cell rang “Hello?” I said into the phone as I hung onto a pole.

Ianto spoke into the phone “Avery, I know you’re at your sister’s, but seems as though we have a problem. Jack just blew up.”

“What!? I’m on my way.” I said into the phone and hung up. I gave Amy a look who nodded; I said nonchalantly to the Doctor “Where could I change out of my clothes into something not covered in sick?” He told me the directions to the wardrobe and the loo. I walked out of the console room, to the wardrobe. I changed into jeans, leather boots as well a dark green tank-top and black cardigan after showering.

I looked at my vortex manipulator, typed in the coordinates of the reception area of Torchwood. I saw white, and then I was in the reception area. But Ianto was nowhere to be found. I made my way to the hub, and found two people I thought I would never see again. Toshiko Sato and Owen Harper were alive. And one Captain Jack Harkness was yelling at Owen to get out. I spoke up “What’s happened?” They looked up in surprise and Toshiko said “If she’s here, then there’s something definitely wrong.” I gave them a confused look. Turned out, the rift had been opened and I ended up in the past instead of current time.  **My present was their future.**

 

**To Be Continued in: End of Days; Torchwood**


	9. Chapter 8: Future to Past

_Flashback of Past Torchwood_

 

The Torchwood team watched as one of their valued members of Torchwood was about to leave. One Avery Pond was going on her own personal mission. They were going to miss her quite a bit. Jack knew that she had come from a far gone future, as did Ianto. Ianto and Jack were her best mates there. She was going to find her version of the Doctor. She had come from a dark future, a future of trouble. Just as she was about to leave she said “When you see me again, it won’t be me. It’ll be a different version of me through time. A past version of me, and when she arrives, that is your signal that there is trouble, serious trouble. Trouble where you have to be a united front.” She gave everyone a hard look before she disappeared in a flash of white light.

 

_Out of Flashback_

_Avery’s POV_

I knew I had to be careful of what I said from here on out. I knew the team was just about to head to the conference room. Ianto walked up to me and handed me a purple tardis diary, I flipped through the book. It had nothing written within. I gave him a confused look and he said “You, yourself gave me this. Told me that the day you returned, you wouldn’t be, the you, we know. And that you were to receive this.” He flipped open to the very first page that I skipped, there was a note. A note from future me.

 

**_Dear 21 year old Avery;_ **

**_You probably skipped this page in a true Avery fashion. And Ianto probably pointed out this page as instructed. You will need this, in order to keep track of where you are in time. Content wise, if past you will arrive or be there. I advise you don’t be in the same area as a different version of you, in order to not cause a paradox. You’ll understand in the future with the Doctor. You’ll understand why this diary is used, as you will meet the inspiration for this probably as soon as you get out of this time period and back to the TARDIS. And the hard times will come; I know you don’t understand at this moment. But once again, you’ll understand what I mean when it comes. And in case you don’t believe this being you... How about a secret only two people actually know, one that even Rory or Ianto don’t know. You were the one who kept biting the psychiatrists when you and Amy went to those meetings. Good luck my darling. And remember..._ **

**_~Future Avery Alecia Pond_ **

****

I looked up from the book, and tore the front page out putting it away in my back jean pocket. I said to Ianto “Did you read the first page?”

He shook his head and said “No ma’am, it wasn’t addressed to me. And so I thought I shouldn’t read it. I had a note of my own anyways.” He held up a note that looked like mine, I nodded. Ianto and I linked arms and walked into the conference room. I heard Owen say “Are you sure that it’s not her Tosh? She seems to be acting the same as she did a couple days ago, acting all cosy with Ianto still.”

Tosh looked at us questionably before she said “I’m not completely sure, but our Avery hasn’t really been wrong yet. So it must be.”

 Jack looked at me, and said “Who am I?”

I shrugged and said “I don’t know. You keep avoiding the darn question. You always talk about your travels, never who you are exactly.”

Jack nodded and announced to the group “This isn’t the Avery who was here a couple days ago.” No one made any arguments.

Tosh walked up to the plasma as she tapped in commands. “I've run a profile on every reported temporal anomaly and tracked any physical or temporal pattern.” She said as she showed us the world map on the monitor. From our location indicated by the big red dot, many red lines appear in the various locations. Whatever they did before I got here, had to be their fault.

I looked over at Ianto beside me, and he whispered in my ear “Before you got here, Tosh and Jack were stuck in the past. Owen opened up the rift and got them back, but caused all of this. There has been a huge spill of unusual activity around the world since. The public are thinking that it’s Judgement Day.” I nodded at him, understanding what he was talking about.

“Shit!” Gwen said

“The cracks in time trace back here to the rift. This city -- this Hub – is the center. What you're seeing around the world are ripples and aftershocks. The rift is splintering because of you.” Jack said looking directly at Owen.

“What?” Owen asked

“You opened the Rift without knowing what you were doing. You've caused the temporal cracks to widen. Time is seeping through.” Jack replied

“If it wasn't for me, you two would still be in the 1940s. So are we going to sit around crying into our lattes, or shall we do something about it?” Owen said

“Bring those who've fallen through time back here, into the vaults.” Jack ordered

“And do what with them?” Owen asked

“We'll deal with phase one first, then I’ll tell you about phase two.” Jack replied

“You can't control time. You can’t send them back! What are you gonna do?” Owen shouted at Jack.

“We’ll think of something!” Jack shouted back. Owen quieted down, everyone was quiet. Everyone who had been involved before I got here were quiet, guilty, and scared.

“Hey, this is  _not_  the end of the world.” Jack said softly, Tosh nodded skeptically.

“I’m certain of that.” Jack said firmly. The computer beeped, and Ianto got up to check it.

“Priority one attendance requested at the hospital. Mortality rate's gone through the roof. They're sealing off the area and designating it a hot zone.” He said.

Owen got up and put his ear piece on and said “I’ll go.”

“Tosh, go with him.” Jack suggested.

“Uh, no, thanks, I’m fine on my own.” Owen replied

“And you’ll be even better with me alongside.” Tosh said firmly as she ushered him out. I could hear her say to him as they passed. “Shut up and come on.” Owen and Tosh left the office.

Gwen glared at Jack. “Did you have to pick on him in public like that?”

“All our actions have consequences.” Jack said

“And all your staff have feelings, Jack, even Owen.” She replied

“Well, you would know.” Jack said pointedly. He walked across the room. Gwen looked as though she couldn’t believe he just said that.

“He brought you back.” Gwen said after him, her phone rang. “Would you rather be stuck in World War II?” Jack didn’t answer her, so Gwen answered her phone “Hello.” Right after Gwen had her phone conversation with whoever it was, she got up, talked to Jack and they left. Not before Jack said to Ianto and I, “Avery, stay with Ianto. You’re safest here. We’ll be back in a bit. Ianto figure out why she’s here.”

I looked at Ianto and he just stared right back at me. We knew we couldn’t tell Jack about the notes and the journal. We would just say that my vortex manipulator was affected by the rift and I was pulled back in time to this moment.  I walked over to Jack’s office and sat in his desk chair, I laughed “It’s the exact same in the future!” Ianto and I laughed before we got quiet. I looked up at Ianto “How are we going to get me back? I only just got my dream of travelling with the Doctor! You do know about the Doctor right Ianto?” He nodded and said “Yes, you told me about him. He, Rory, and Amy are almost the only people you ever talk about. And then you curse about Mels.” I stifled a laugh; the version of me they knew now, sounded a lot like me just a little different.

It was just an hour later, when Gwen and Jack came back with an unconscious Roman Soldier in tow. I quickly got out of the chair, and walked into the hub with Ianto. Ianto looked at me, as though he was waiting for a joke. I had no clue of what he was waiting for. The only thing the Roman Soldier reminded me of, was Amy. She always called their story, The Invasion of the Hot Italians. I smiled a sad smile; I would hope I could get back to her. I watched as they passed.

Ianto got another beep on one of the computers; he looked at me and said “Be right back, we have a Weevil on the loose.” He left the hub to go catch it. I pulled out my phone, flipping through pictures of Amy, Rory and I. As well some pictures of just Ianto and me in the future, the future where I belonged.

Ianto came back with a handcuffed weevil, a few minutes later. I followed him putting my phone in my pockets as I walked. I followed him into the vaults. “Coming through!” Ianto said as I opened up the door for him. The weevil growled, Ianto sprayed it and subdues it before putting it in a cell.

“Thirteen more reports of Weevils on the loose. We can’t keep up at this rate.” Ianto said to Jack.

“Everything’s on the increase.” Jack replied

“Can you stop them making that noise?” Gwen said as the Weevils in the cells moaned.

“If you’ve got any ideas how.” Ianto replied

“Maybe they're time sensitive. This disturbance may be too much for them.” Jack said

“We're now full in all vaults across all nine levels.” Ianto announced, there were many weevils in a single cell. Do you want me to activate the vaults below? It’s just we've never used them since I've been here.”

“Do it. Gwen, maybe you're right. Let's run a search on your dancehall buddy. We need to find him.” Jack ordered.

“Okay.” Gwen replied as she and Jack left the room. Ianto looked at me and said “You can go ahead. I don’t need to be supervised.” I laughed as I left him be. When I entered the hub where the workstations were, Owen and Tosh had returned.

“Owen. How was the hospital?” Jack asked

“Laugh a bloody minute.” Owen replied, Tosh returned to her workstation, she was stunned for some reason. “They’ve got an outbreak of the Black Death.” Owen announced.

“What? Oh, my God!” Gwen replied

“Have they got it under control?” Jack asked Tosh. Tosh didn’t respond. Jack hit the desk with his hand, and Tosh snapped out of it looking at him. “Tosh! How are they coping?”

“Um, Owen got the place quarantined and organized treatments for those who’ve been infected.” She replied

“Only consolation is, it's treatable in these days. But you know, what happens when the next carrier comes through, Jack? Someone carrying smallpox or Ebola, or something from the future we don’t even know about? What do we do then?” Owen questioned.

“Yeah, well, it's not doing us any good standing around speculating.” Jack said as he headed for his office. Owen blocked his path.

“We need to be prepared. We're helpless. All we’re doing here is putting sticking plasters on gaping wounds!” Owen proclaimed to Jack.

“What do you suggest?” Jack said to Owen. I stood back watching, from Jack’s attitude, it seemed like this wouldn’t turn out well.

“I suggest you lead us and you tell us what the instructions are.” Owen said

“Owen...” Gwen said warningly to Owen.

“No, come on. You're all thinking it too. You're the big man here. You keep all the secrets. Well, now's the time to tell us a few and tell us how the hell we're gonna get out of this!” Owen yelled

“You want to know a secret? There is no solution. I can't fix this. Because this was never meant to happen. The first thing you learned when you joined Torchwood was  _Don't Mess with the Rift_. But you disobeyed those orders and now everything that's happening is down to you.” Jack replied.

“I only disobeyed instructions to get you back.” Owen said back to him.

“And now people are dying.” Jack replied

“What? So I shouldn’t have bothered?” Owen shouted at Jack, who didn’t answer him. Owen got angry. “Who the fuck are you, anyway? Jack Harkness? You don't even exist. We've looked. So if you're not even a real person, then why should I follow your orders?”

“Get out.” Jack said angrily.

“What?” Owen asked

“Get out! I'm relieving you of your duty.” Jack yelled at Owen.

“No. You can't do that!” Tosh said to Jack

“Bollocks, you are!” Owen said to Jack

“Jack, wait.” Gwen said, I looked over at Ianto as Jack walked up to Owen.

“You’re done here.” He said to Owen, in a very scary tone. Jack walked towards his office.

Owen scoffed “What, so that's it? The whole world is going to shit and you're going to fire me?”

“For God's sake! Both of you! We need to stick together on this.” Gwen yelled

“If I can't rely on you, if I don't have your complete trust, you don't belong here. That goes for the rest of you. Anyone who agrees with Owen, leave now.” Jack shouted at all of us. I didn’t move, I just snaked my hand into Ianto’s. I was scared, I had never seen Jack act like this. But this was the past, but it had to be a past that hadn’t happened yet...

Owen turned to look at us, and none of us moved. “So now we know how it is. So that leaves me 24 hours to savor the good times.”

“What are you talking about?” Gwen asked, even I knew what he was talking about. No one left Torchwood with their memories intact or alive.

“Think about it, Gwen. Nobody leaves this place intact. Sometime in the next 24 hours ... I get Ret-conned. All my memories erased. I don't know where or when, but he'll get me.” Owen replied

“Jack, this has gone far enough.” Gwen said, but Jack didn’t back down.

“So I guess this is goodbye.” Owen said angrily but defeated. He took his gun out and puts it on the nearby table. “Good luck with the end of the world.” Owen took a couple of steps to leave, then turned to look at Gwen. “I would say thanks for the memories...”

Gwen burst with emotion and yelled at Jack “Jack, for God’s sake!” Owen turned and left. The lights flash and the cog door opens, Owen left the hub. Gwen looked at Jack.  **Ianto and I looked at each other, I said quietly so only he could hear “The Team is falling apart...”**


	10. Chapter 9: Tests of Human Nature

**RECAP: "So I guess this is goodbye." Owen said angrily but defeated. He took his gun out and puts it on the nearby table. "Good luck with the end of the world." Owen took a couple of steps to leave, then turned to look at Gwen. "I would say thanks for the memories..."**

**Gwen burst with emotion and yelled at Jack "Jack, for God's sake!" Owen turned and left. The lights flash and the cog door opens, Owen left the hub. Gwen looked at Jack. Ianto and I looked at each other, I said quietly so only he could hear " _The Team is falling apart..._ "**

 

_Avery's POV_

After Owen left, Gwen and Jack went to go check out the Clock shop. Ianto and I hung around the hub with Tosh. It was only an hour later, when Gwen called us up for help. She had stunned Rhys. I remembered meeting him once in the future. He was nice. Anyways, we left the hub to Gwen's apartment to pick up Rhys and put him in the vaults. She described the vision of Rhys dying to us "I had come home, and found bloodied handprints on the wall and Rhys on the floor lying in a pool of blood. I think he was dead..." She told us in the van driving back to the hub. I hugged her from the side, trying to be comforting. We arrived back and Jack met up with us in the hub. Jack and Ianto carried Rhys into a cell in the vault. Gwen stayed there watching over him, after we left. She came out in a bit after he woke up. We were grouped together, talking about her vision.

"Did he wake up?" Jack asked Gwen.

"Yeah. Yeah, he did. Tosh, can you bring up the CCTV of the vaults? Er, just leave it on the screen, I know it sounds crazy, but ..." Gwen replied

"Sure, no problem." Tosh answered making adjustments to her palm.

"Thank you ... for helping me bring him here." Gwen said

"I can't understand how Bilis was able to show you that vision." Tosh remarked allowed. On the monitor, Rhys sat down and put his head in his hands.

"It was so real, Tosh. I was in my flat. It smelt like my flat, it had all the sounds of my flat." Gwen started to get more agitated, and I saw Jack walk over to her "I touched the blood. I can still feel it on my hands." Jack grabbed and held Gwen's hand as she continued "Rhys's blood." She stopped, and I put my hand on her arm in reassurance.

"It's not gonna happen." Jack reassured Gwen, who took a breath and calmed down. I looked at both Ianto and Tosh who looked spooked, I was guessing they had their own run in with Bilis, they were quiet. Jack looked at all of us and Gwen nodded.

"Come on, there's still work to be done." Jack said, he started to move when the lights shut off and the klaxon sounded.

"What's going on?" Ianto asked from beside me, I squeezed his hand that I was holding.

"We've got a security breach." Tosh reported, she returned to back to her workstation. Ianto and I went to his workstation.

"All right, nobody panic." Jack said, though Gwen turned and ran back to the vaults screaming for Rhys, and Jack ran after her.

At the workstations, within a few minutes, the alarms stopped blaring and the lights stopped flashing. Tosh, Ianto, and I looked at each other. This was not good, and this was getting downright stranger than what was usual for me. And I was right, those alarms stopping suddenly meant horrible things as Jack and Gwen came back. Rhys was dead, I comforted Gwen with what I knew of her in the future hoping that the methods that worked best when comforting Gwen hadn't changed between now and then. Ianto and Jack moved Rhys's body into cold storage.

A half hour later, after Gwen was a little more calmer, we all went into the cold storage. Gwen sat next to Rhys' body on the table while Jack gently wiped the blood of her hands as Ianto, Tosh and I stood on the steps with our backs to the wall watching them.

"I'll have to tell his family." Gwen said

"We'll deal with it." Ianto replied

"The way you dealt with that porter the first time I met you? No, you won't deal with him, Ianto." Gwen retorted

"Gwen, I'm so sorry." Tosh said sympathetically to Gwen who laughed.

"You never even met him." Gwen said, as Jack stopped wiping her hands and remained quiet "This is what happens here." She looked at us, smiling without humor "We all end up alone." Her smile faded "Not me. No way." She looked at Jack who wouldn't look at her. "You bring him back."

"No." Jack answered as he walked away from her.

"The resurrection gauntlet..." Gwen thought aloud

"Was destroyed." Ianto answered

"Something else." Gwen offered, almost sounding a bit desperate.

"I said no." Jack responded.

"No, there's something wrong with time, so we, we can go back to the moment, to the very moment ..." Gwen said

"Gwen..." Jack said with warning in his tone.

"There's something you can do, other WHAT'S THE FUCKING POINT OF YOU?!" Gwen said harshly to Jack. She ran across the room and attacked him, clawing at his chest with her fingers while she screamed at him. I moved to pull her away from him, but was stopped by Ianto.

"You, you bring him back! Bring him back! You bring him back! Do you understand me, Jack-fucking-Harkness?" Gwen yelled at Jack

"Gwen, I'm sorry." Jack apologized to Gwen.

"Do you?" She said to him, Jack held her as Gwen started crying again.

"I'm so sorry. I'm sorry." Jack said to her. It was quiet except for Gwen's wails. I moved closer to Ianto for comfort. I didn't know what I would do without Ianto, Jack, Amy, or Rory if any one of them died, they were important to me. Though the Doctor... it was hard to be rid of him in my heart, I had gone 14 years without him and then he showed back up and only two adventures down and I already had feelings of him. Feelings like I wouldn't be truly me, without him.

The sad moment was interrupted by Owen bursting through the plastic covering over the doorway. He stopped and took everything in. "Oh, shit. What happened?" Owen asked. He saw Jack holding Gwen as she cried. He went down the stars, and Tosh seemed like she brightened up when she saw him. I knew, she totally had feelings for him.

"You came back!" Tosh said rather brightly.

Owen grabbed Gwen and said to her "Are you all right? You all right?"

Gwen pushed him away and screamed at him "Don't touch me!"

Owen stopped and Gwen went back to Rhys. "How many other people have got to suffer?" Owen said to Jack who didn't answer him. "I'm gonna fix this. I'm opening the rift." Owen said aloud before turning and running up the stairs. Ianto started up the stairs after him, after letting me go.

"Make sure you stop him." Jack said to Ianto.

Ianto stopped and looked at Jack "No." He said before turning and following Owen out of the room.

Tosh started after them, and I realized what they were doing and moved closer to Jack. This was bad... Opening the rift once caused catastrophic consequences, but a second time? Who knew what would happen this time. "We're gonna help him." Tosh said to Jack as she left. Gwen got up and quickly headed up the stairs after them.

She stopped and looked at Jack. "Bilis was right, he said open the rift and everything goes back to normal. Owen's right. I'm going to get Rhys back."

"Gwen." Jack said

"Gwen!" I said "You can't be sure that he's not lying! Opening up the rift the first time caused all of these problems, what makes you think that opening it a second time will make it any better, because clearly it's going to make it worse than it is. And I don't want to know what's worse than this." Though I was ignored.

Gwen ran up the stairs "No!"

"Gwen!" Jack yelled at her. Clearly he and I were the only ones thinking sensibly at the moment as Gwen ran out of the room. He picked his gun off the floor and headed up the stairs just behind me. We entered the workstation area, and Gwen is typing as the alarm was sounding around us.

"Get away from the computer, Gwen." Jack commanded her. Owen stood in front of us, ready to attack him if necessary. "This is a trap. All these cracks around the world, they are diversions. This is what Bilis wants."

"What are you afraid of, Jack?" Owen asked him, almost taunting. I pushed Owen aside and moved closer to her monitor, though Ianto blocked my way knowing what I had been intending to do. She reached the  **EMERGENCY PROTOCOL ONE**  password login.

Ianto told Gwen "Rhea Silva"

I looked at Ianto and muttered, "Huh, obviously, after this someone changes the password. Because that's not the password anymore..." Gwen continued to typing and Jack took out his gun and pointed it at her back. Owen backed away, Ianto moved slightly away from Gwen, thus moving me out of harm's way as well.

"I said, 'Move.'" Jack commanded, everyone turned to look at him.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Tosh exclaimed

"Final warning." Jack warned.

Gwen turned and addressed Jack "Come on, Jack."

"You're a united front now? Toshiko, the poor girl who'll screw any passing alien that gives her a pendant? Owen, so strong, he gets in a cage with a Weevil, desperate to be mauled. Or Ianto, hiding his cyber-girlfriend in the basement. Your three comrades here pumped bullets into her, remember? Avery, here is the only one who has any sense. And she isn't even from here!" Jack spoke

"I've got to get Rhys back." Gwen answered

Jack put his gun down and said mocking and serious "Yeah, cos you're so in love with Rhys that you spend half your time in Owen's bed.

Gwen hit Jack in the face shouting "Fuck you!" Jack dropped his gun as he fell. Owen picked it up and pointed it at Jack. I tried to move to help Jack but was restrained by Ianto. Gwen went back to the keyboard. A message appeared on the screen:  **RETINA PRINTS OF ALL TORCHWOOD PERSONNEL REQUIRED FOR AUTHORISATION ENTER**

"Shit!" Gwen swore.

Jack started to get up as Owen shouted "Stay down!"

"You're in charge, Owen? You've gotta have significantly bigger balls." Jack said. He stood up and Owen shot him in the head. Gwen and I screamed as Jack fell backward, his eyes wide open as he hit the floor with a thud. Tears streamed down my cheeks as Owen fired several more times at Jack. I fell to my knees by Jack's side, crying. I knew he could come back to life, but it did not make his death hurt any less. I stared at him waiting for him to breathe once more like I knew he could.

"I'm sick of people doubting me." Owen said. Ianto fell to his knees next to me at Jack's side. Toshiko gasped.

"What have you done?" Ianto said looking at Owen shocked. Gwen slowly took the gun from Owen who was shaking.  **I slowly got up and punched Owen as hard as I could before collapsing back down at Jack's side sobbing. He had better come back.**


	11. Chapter 10: A Death, A Revival, and Feelings

**RECAP:  “You're in charge, Owen? You've gotta have significantly bigger balls.” Jack said. He stood up and Owen shot him in the head. Gwen and I screamed as Jack fell backward, his eyes wide open as he hit the floor with a thud. Tears streamed down my cheeks as Owen fired several more times at Jack. I fell to my knees by Jack’s side, crying. I knew he could come back to life, but it did not make his death hurt any less. I stared at him waiting for him to breathe once more like I knew he could.**

**“I’m sick of people doubting me.” Owen said. Ianto fell to his knees next to me at Jack’s side. Toshiko gasped.**

**“What have you done?” Ianto said looking at Owen shocked. Gwen slowly took the gun from Owen who was shaking. I slowly got up and punched Owen as hard as I could before collapsing back down at Jack’s side sobbing. He had better come back.**

_Avery’s POV_

Owen, Tosh, Ianto, and Gwen all scanned their retina prints. I got up and said “Even though I don’t condone what we’re doing, and I still think this is a stupid idea. I’ll put in my print as well, not completely sure if it’ll need mine.” I scanned mine in.

Owen looked at Gwen “We’ve still got to do Jack’s.” She said. Owen picked up Jack’s dead body and opened the eyelid and scanned the retina print into the computer. The computer ran through all of our retina prints, Gwen typed in the commands and a messaged appeared:  **AUTHORISATION COMPLETE. INSTITUTE EMERGENCY PROTOCOL ONE? WARNING PROTOCOL ACTIVATION WILL ENDANGER TORCHWOOD INFRASTRUCTURE.** Gwen looked back at us, and then stopped on Rhys’ body on the table in the cold storage. She hit  **ENTER**. The Klaxon alarm blared as everyone stood around looking at one another. Alarms continued to blare and light flashed as I could faintly hear the Weevils going wild in their cages and our Roman in his cage yelling. Everyone stood around waiting for something to happen. Jack growls and grabbed Gwen’s leg, she screamed.

“Oh, my god!” Owen shouted in surprise. Jack saw the turmoil in the hub.

“What have you done?” He asked weakly, I knelt down and hugged him tightly.

Gwen turned around and saw electrical charges ramping up the base of the water tower, before a stream of energy ran from the ground on up through the water tower.

 

“Come on. Move, move, move, move, move!” Someone said, as Gwen and I tried to move Jack. Ianto stopped to help us.

“Help us move him!” Gwen said, the conference room glass shattered.

All of us headed for the doors. “Gwen!” Tosh yelled

“Come on!” Owen added. Owen got the doors open as the walls around us crumbled to pieces. I grabbed Jack’s jacket off the coat rack as we passed it. Pieces of the ceiling collapse in the hub. Tosh led us out the doors.

“Go! Come on!” Someone said again as an overhead support beam broke and fell onto the workstations as I looked back at the hub.

Owen and Tosh ran ahead of us to outside, Ianto and Gwen were supporting Jack between them, who was staggering and leaning heavily on them, as his legs could not support him. I was following behind everyone holding Jack’s coat. “Keep moving!” Owen yelled.

“It’s going to be all right, Jack. Everything is going to go back to normal.” Gwen said to Jack. Suddenly Owen and Tosh stopped running. Gwen let Jack go, and I took her place in supporting him, as she walked towards Bilis who was standing in front of us. His beady black eyes stared back at us.

“From out of the darkness, he is come.” He said, I had no clue what he was talking about.

“What is he talking about?” Gwen vocalizing the question I was sure we all had.

“Son of the Great Beast, cast out before time, chained in rock and imprisoned beneath the rift.”

“What?!” Gwen said Bilis’ gaze rose high above our heads as he looked at something behind us.

I turned my head just as he said, “All hail Abaddon, the Great Devourer.” Gwen and Owen turned around. “Come to feast on life.” We could see in the distance, a gigantic horned beast approaching the city, reminding me heavily of Godzilla. The beast roared. The earth shook with every step it took. Car alarms go off as the road shudders. And we stared at the beast we let loose upon the earth as the beast roared again. “The whole world shall die beneath his shadow.” Bilis said. The beast leaned down and growled, before turning and heading for the city. Bilis looked proudly at the beast he manipulated us into releasing. “I look upon you, my god, and know my work is done.” Bilis vanished.

Gwen turned around looking at all the dead bodies around us littering the street. The place was quiet. Gwen went back to Jack, who was leaning more on Ianto than me. “How do we stop it? Tell me what to do, Jack.” Gwen asked Jack, who looked at everyone before settling his gaze on Gwen.

“Just you... get me to an open space.” Jack answered. Gwen went to grab Jack, pulling his arm over her shoulders about to leave us behind. I knew what he was about to do. He had told me this story before, though he had never mentioned me. I would be breaking rule number one of time-travel, don’t interfere with fixed points in time. Well, I say screw it, Jack mattered more than the whole of space and time now. I knew if I did what I was about to do, I might not be able to return.

“Don’t you dare Jack.” I said seriously, grabbing both of their shoulders. “I know what you’re about to do. You are not sacrificing yourself to this beast. We aren’t sure you’re even going to return this time! Do we even know the limits to your revivals, how many times you can die before actually dying? I’m not letting you do this, or so help me that version of me you see in the future won’t exist anymore. I’ll go sacrifice myself before you can.”

“Avery... You can’t. It has to be me.” Jack let go of Gwen a bit, turning towards me and grabbing my face as he looked into my eyes. “You haven’t even started the great things you’ll do. You’ve gotten your Doctor back; you have a great destiny ahead of you intertwined with his. If you do this now, that will not exist. And what is about to happen, will be for nothing if you can’t save the universe in the future. You have to admit that.” I although a bit begrudged, nodded in admittance. I had to let him do it. I grabbed his other arm and helped Gwen to the SUV. There was no way I was letting them go without me.

Gwen stopped the SUV and Jack got out, he was exhausted I could tell. He hadn’t fully recovered from dying yet. Gwen ran out after him. “What are you gonna do?” She asked

“If Abaddon is the bringer of death, let’s see how he does with me. If he feeds on life, then I’m an all-you-can-eat-buffet.” He answered.

She grabbed his jacket from me and tried to stop him. I rolled my eyes following them. She hadn’t caught on when I had tried to do the same. And I was apparently The Great Avery, the one who knew things and Jack generally listened to. “No, wait! Wait, you’re too weak!” She yelled at him. The beast stomped through the city around us. Jack pried her hands off his jacket, his eyes on the beast in front of them. I walked forward pulling Gwen back a bit, she was crying.

“Get out of here!” Jack said, as he pushed us away. “GO!” He turned and continued up the road leaving us behind. “Drive as fast as you can.”

“Jack.” Gwen said, though I had a solid hold on her in case she decided to follow him. I knew he had to do this without worrying about either of us.

“Bring it on!” Jack shouted as he stopped on top of the hill, turning to face the beast, who stopped and turned to face Jack. The beast roared and started towards Jack, who stood his ground waiting for the beast. The beast’s shadow covered the ground, though when it reached Jack, it stopped, the edge of the shadow on Jack unable to move past him. Jack started to scream in agony though he didn’t die. The beast loomed over him, the shadow still stopped in its tracks. Jack continued to scream in pain. I wanted to run over there to help him. But I knew that would mean immediate death, so Gwen and I watched helplessly from the roadside. The beast roared as the life essence inside Jack was sucked out of his body in a long, continuous stream of light. Jack screamed. The beast roared, the light hit the beast breaking it apart from the inside. The beast fell to its knees, unable to stop the light as it fell onto the ground in front of Jack. Jack fell backwards onto the ground, unconscious. Gwen and I ran up to Jack, falling to our knees beside him. I moved his head onto my legs as Gwen held the rest of his lifeless body in her arms and cried. I felt tears stream down my face as I brushed his hair out of his face. I knew this would happen. I just had to hope that he would prove me wrong and come back.

 

Gwen had gone back to her apartment. And I stayed with Jack in the morgue, waiting. Everyone else joined me in the evening, gathering around his body as I stared at it, he was deathly pale. His body was on the morgue table in a white body bag. The cabinet door is open at his feet. Everyone was quiet.

“You’re certain?” Gwen asked Owen

“He’s ice cold. No vital signs.” He answered

“He survived when you shot him. When I first joined, he said he couldn’t die.”

“He was wrong.”

“I want to sit with him.”

“Gwen...”

“I want to sit with him.” Gwen said. She gently stroked the side of Jack’s face, as Owen nodded and left with Tosh following behind him. I felt Ianto kiss the side of my head before also leaving. Gwen and I stayed with Jack’s body.

Gwen ended up leaning against the morgue cabinets, her arms crossed as she leaned her head back as she waited a half hour after everyone left.

She even leaned close over Jack’s body a few minutes later telling him to wake up.

A few more minutes later she smoothed the gown on Jack’s chest and straightened the body bag wrapped around him. And then she started to pace as she after she was done straightening the body bag. I was starting to get annoyed at Gwen’s impatience though I stayed quiet.

An hour of pacing later, Gwen sat in the corner on the floor before standing up looking at Jack and whispering Jack.

 

_Third Person’s POV_

The others watched Gwen moving around on the monitors while Avery just sat there staring at Jack. They were at the workstations

“How long is she gonna do this?” Owen asked. Ianto and Owen looked at each other as Tosh continued to watch the monitor, where Gwen sat next to the body smoothing Jack’s gown over his chest again.

In Jack’s Office, Ianto was straightening the papers on Jack’s desk. He sniffled as he walked over to the coat rack, removing Jack’s coat and pressed it to his face as he cried.

 

_Avery’s POV_

I had written everything that happened so far here, as well everything that had happened during my excursion with The Doctor and Amy on the TARDIS, with the Atraxi and Prisoner Zero as well the Star Whale. It had been days since he died fighting Abaddon. Gwen sat next to Jack, with Tosh standing next to Gwen.

“It’s been days.” Tosh said to us, we didn’t respond. “We have to face up to it. He’s not coming back.”

“I believe in him.” Gwen responded.

“Let him go, Gwen. It would be a good idea if you did so too Avery.” Tosh said before leaving. I shook my head in refusal. I was not going to stop believing, I had believed in that the Doctor would return to me for 12 years before he did and then leaving again for 2 more. I was not about stop now, my sister was the girl who waited and so was I. Gwen tilted her head as she looked at Jack. She got up and picked his hand up, holding his hand against her cheek closing her eyes. A few moments of her doing that, before she leaned close to Jack and kissing him. She turned and started walking away.

A voice spoke, one that we had not heard in days. “Thank you.” I looked at Jack who was awake, I grinned before doing a happy dance. Gwen gasped and smiled as she rushed back to Jack to find him awake. Jack smiled at her.

 

After Jack had gotten dressed, Gwen and him walked into the Hub, while I skipped with happiness behind them. Ianto and Tosh were cleaning up the hub. Tosh reached out to remove a machine part and looked up to see us entered the hub. Her eyes widen and she ran across to Jack. They hugged. I yelled Ianto’s name to get his attention. He stood up and looked at us before walking over to Jack. He awkwardly held his hand out, but Jack grabbed him and they hug. Owen stepped into the hub to see Jack and Ianto hug and kiss. Owen put the kit he’s carrying down on the floor with a thud. Jack walked over to him.

“I...” Owen said

“I forgive you.” Jack replied. Owen nodded as Jack grabbed him and held Owen as he cried. I hugged Ianto in celebration of Jack’s revival. Gwen, Tosh, and us watched Jack and Owen quietly.

 

The next day I was typing on the workstation as Jack and Gwen talked in his office. Ianto, Owen, and Tosh went out to get coffees, they had offered me to join them, but I had decline. I had to figure out how to get back to my time. Jack walked out of the office, Gwen remaining behind in the office. “Where are they with those coffees?” He asked, and I shrugged. A machine beeps; Jack stopped and looked at the hand in the tank. The hand was pulsing.

I got up from the workstation and joined him as we checked on the hand. We stopped in front of it and he smiled at both it and me. We stared at it and waited, I knew what was going on. It was the return of the Doctor. We heard the most glorious sound, an ancient grinding sounds of the TARDIS engine. An unnatural wind blew in the hub, ruffling our hair. We looked at each other smiling with joy before looking to the side.

Jack picked up the tank with the hand and ran out of the Hub. I ran after him. We saw the TARDIS just about to leave, and Jack jumped onto the side of the TARDIS. I stopped, I couldn’t do that. I might not survive the trip. I smiled to myself though as Jack and the TARDIS disappeared. Jack had found his Doctor. I ought to be able to return to mine. I put my hand on my vortex manipulator closing my eyes, letting the TARDIS pull me to her as my fingers involuntarily started typing in coordinates.

Before I knew it, I was back in the wardrobe of the TARDIS. I grinned. I got changed into a different outfit than this. I changed into converse, black tights, denim shorts, and a loose gray graphic t-shirt with a picture of the Eiffel Tower on the front. I tied my hair into a loose braid as I walked out of the wardrobe. Heading to the console room, where I had a feeling that was where the Doctor and Amy were.

I walked into the console room as Amy and the Doctor rushed into the TARDIS, the Doctor holding an old box. I walked towards them, and said “Uh... what’s going on? And what’s that?”

The Doctor looked sharply up at me in surprise, and said, “You’ve been gone awhile...” Returning to hooking up the box to the console.

“I got lost.” I lied partially. Truthfully I did get lost, in time...

“That’s a home box Avery.” Amy answered me. “Why are we doing this?” She asked the Doctor.

“Cos someone on a space ship 12,000 years ago is trying to attract my attention. Let's see if we can get the security playback working.” He answered.

Grainy black and white footage of a woman winking at the camera appeared on the monitor, it then switched to the woman with her back to the camera facing a door.

“The party's over, Doctor Song. Yet still you’re on board.“ A man said. Doctor Song turned to face him.

“Sorry, Alistair. I needed to see what was in your vault. Do you all know what's down there? Any of you? Because I'll tell you something. This ship won't reach its destination.” She replied.

“Wait till she runs. Don't make it look like an execution.” Alistair ordered someone, I was assuming guards.

“Triple-seven, five, zero, twelve, slash, acorn. Oh, and I could do with an air corridor.” She said looking at her watch and back up at Alistair. The Doctor, Amy, and I exchanged a look before the Doctor began to type on the keyboard.

“What was that, what did she say?” Amy asked

“Co-ordinates!” Both the Doctor and I answered, he smiled at me. I guess he was glad I was back, or maybe he didn’t really miss me while I was gone. He had Amy after all... people liked her more in the end.

“Like I said on the dance floor, you might want to find something to hang on to!” The woman on the monitor said, as a timer began to beep frantically, Alistair realized what was about to happen and grabbed hold of one of the pipes on the wall. She blew a kiss just before the door behind blew open and she is carried into space towards the TARDIS that was materializing. The Doctor whooped before running to open the TARDIS doors. He reached out and pulled the woman from the monitor into the TARDIS, and they both landed on the floor.

“Doctor?” Amy and I questioned

“River?” Doctor said. He and River stood and watched the ship fly away.

“Follow that ship.” River commanded. I gave her a look, she seemed familiar as though I knew her once upon a time. Though I also had a strange feeling in the pit of my stomach as I watched the two of them. Almost like jealousy. But that couldn’t be true. I couldn’t have feelings for the Doctor. But I could, but I was hiding things, things that could hurt the Doctor if he found out at the wrong time. I groaned as I realized that I did and there was nothing I could do.

 

**I liked The Doctor, and this could get interesting.**

**To Be Continued in: The Time of Angels**


	12. Chapter 11: Emotions and Insecurities

_Avery’s POV_

We held on as the TARDIS chased after the ship that was about to crash. The Doctor and the supposed River were both working on the controls while Amy and I hung back watching. River had abandoned her heels and was barefoot, in order to move fast to hit certain buttons, levers, and switches on the console at the proper time.

“They’ve gone into warp drive, we’re losing them! Stay close!” River said

“I’m trying!” The Doctor responded

“Use the stabilisers.” River ordered

“There aren’t any stabilisers!” The Doctor answered

“The blue switches!” River retorted

“The blue ones don't do anything, they're just...blue.” He said

“Yes, they're blue. They're the blue stabilisers!” She reached over and switched them, and the ship became quiet. “See?”

“Yeah, well, it's just boring now, isn't it? They're boring-ers. They're blue boring-ers.” He said

“Doctor, how come she can fly the TARDIS?” Amy asked

“Yeah?” I added in.

“You call that flying the TARDIS? Ha!” He answered, as he sat on the jump seat to sulk. I walked  over to him and put my hand on his shoulder. I almost wanted to say ‘Awww poor baby.’ But I was sure that wouldn’t of improved his mood.

“OK. I've mapped the probability vectors, done a fold-back on the temporal isometry, charted the ship to its destination, and parked us right along side.” River reported

“Parked us? We haven’t landed.” The Doctor responded

“Of course we've landed. I just landed her.” River answered

“But it didn’t make the noise.” He said

“What noise?” She asked

“You know, the....” He made the TARDIS wheezing sound. Which I admit sounded funny coming from him.

“It’s not supposed to make that noise. You leave the brakes on.” River said

“Yeah, well, it's a brilliant noise. I love that noise. Come along, Ponds, let's have a look.” He said to us as he reached out a hand to me, which I took. He led us to the door.

“No, wait! Environment checks.” River said, which I gave her a look, because the last time I had been on this ship, we had just walked out with no regard of whether we would die from the environment or not. Moreover, I was sure, it was going to be the same this time as well.

“Oh, yes, sorry! Quite right. Environment checks.” He stuck his head out the door. I giggled at him. “Nice out.” He responded.

“We’re somewhere in the Garn Belt. There’s an atmosphere. Early indications suggest...” River read out off one of the screens in the TARDIS.

“We're on Alfava Metraxis, the seventh planet of the Dundra System. Oxygen-rich atmosphere, toxins in the soft band, 11-hour day, and...” He stuck his head out once again “chances of rain later.” He reported to us.

“He thinks he’s so hot when he does that.” I overheard River say to Amy. And there was that gnawing feeling of jealousy in my stomach once again, right on time. He and I joined them at the console.

“How come you can fly the TARDIS?” Amy asked River

“Oh, I had lessons from the very best.” River answered, I let myself wonder for a second if the Doctor would ever teach me.

“Well, yeah.” The Doctor responded sounding a bit smug.

“It’s a shame you were busy that day.” River said as she picked up her shoes “Right then, why did they land here?” and headed for the door.

“They didn’t land.” The Doctor answered

“Sorry?” She responded

“You should've checked the Home Box - it crashed.” He answered as he followed her, with me tagging along beside him. River stepped outside and he closed the door behind her before heading back to the console. It looked like we were leaving River behind, and I let myself grin. That woman aggravated me, just the way it sounded like she knew the Doctor and I didn’t like it. Yeah, I was jealous, but I couldn’t help myself feel like there was something off about her, and almost like she sounded a bit familiar.

“Explain! Who is that and how did she do that museum thing?” Amy asked him

“It's a long story and I don't know most of it. Off we go!” He answered as he worked the controls. Only a few more buttons pressed and switches flipped before we would leave, leaving that woman behind and hopefully not see her again.

“What are you doing?” Amy said, I gave her a look, what was she doing.

“Leaving. She’s got where she wants to go, let’s go where we want to go.” He answered.

“Are you basically running away?” She asked

“Yep.” He responded

“Why?” She asked

“Cos she’s the future, my future.” He replied. I stepped back from them. One question somewhat answered. How she knew him? There was a chance I had no chance with him. That this path of feelings would just end up in heartbreak especially if I had to watch him fall for River. River who was a lot sexier and hotter than I was, and a lot more woman. I pressed my palms to my eyes as I backed into the railing, shaking my head, I could not let my insecurities get control of me this time, not again. I took a few deep shuddering breaths as I took back control and I looked back at the two in front of me with their backs facing me. They hadn’t a clue what had just happened, though it wasn’t as if Amy had been around for the time I had lost control to the insecurities, and it wasn’t like I could go find Rory if I did lose control. I gave myself one last shake before returning to my spot at the console as if nothing had just happened.

“You promised me a planet. Five minutes?” Amy said, as clearly I missed a bit of the conversation.

“Ok, five minutes!” He gave in to her.

“Yes!” She headed to the door.

**“But that's all, cos I'm telling you now, that woman is not dragging me into anything!” He said, that gave me hope as I briefly grinned to myself. He went to follow Amy to the door, but realized I had not followed just yet and turned holding his hand out to me, which I took before we all left the TARDIS.**


	13. Chapter 12: The Angels Have The Ship

**RECAP:**

**"Why?" Amy asked**

**"Cos she's the future, my future." The Doctor replied. I stepped back from them. One question somewhat answered. How she knew him? There was a chance I had no chance with him. That this path of feelings would just end up in heartbreak especially if I had to watch him fall for River. River who was a lot sexier and hotter than I was, and a lot more woman. I pressed my palms to my eyes as I backed into the railing, shaking my head, I could not let my insecurities get control of me this time, not again. I took a few deep shuddering breaths as I took back control and I looked back at the two in front of me with their backs facing me. They hadn't a clue what had just happened, though it wasn't as if Amy had been around for the time I had lost control to the insecurities, and it wasn't like I could go find Rory if I did lose control. I gave myself one last shake before returning to my spot at the console as if nothing had just happened.**

_Avery's POV_

We exited the TARDIS, bits of debris from the ship we had been following that crashed on top of a very large and very old stone structure that was burning in areas. Amy, the Doctor, and I stood next to River looking up at it.

"What caused it to crash? Not me." River questioned

"Nah, the airlock would've sealed seconds after you blew it. According to the Home Box, the warp engines had a phase-shift. No survivors." The Doctor answered

"A phase-shift would have to be sabotage. I did warn them." River responded

"About what?" The Doctor asked

"Well, at least the building was empty. Aplan temple. Unoccupied for centuries." River replied before beginning to key something into a handheld device.

"Aren't you going to introduce us?" Amy said

"Amy Pond, Professor River Song. Avery Pond, Professor River Song." The Doctor introduced

"Ahhh, I'm going to be a Professor some day, am I?" River said facing us, I noticed the Doctor wincing at his slip beside me. "How exciting!" She chuckled "Spoilers!" She turned her attention back to waht she was doing.

"Yeah, but who is she and how did she do that? She just left you a note in a museum!" Amy whispered, though the Doctor walked off. I had a choice to either go after him or stay and listen to what the mysterious River Song had to say next about the Doctor.

"Two things always guaranteed to show up in a museum: The Home Box of category four starliner and, sooner or later, him. It's how he keeps score." River answered Amy

"I know." Amy laughed

"It's hilarious, isn't it?" River replied

"I'm nobody's taxi service!" The Doctor said coming up behind them with a sarcastic laugh, before saying to River "I'm not gonna be there to catch you every time you feel like jumping out of a space ship."

"And you are so wrong. There's one survivor. There's a thing in the belly of that ship that can't ever die. Now he's listening!" River said to us before speaking into a device "You lot in orbit yet? Yeah, I saw it land. I'm at the crash site. Try and home in on my signal." She walked away a bit holding us the device, before yelling at the Doctor "Doctor, can you sonic me? I need to boost the signal so we can use it as a beacon." He took out his sonic screwdriver and used it on River's communication device. River did a small curtsey in reply. I rolled my eyes.

"Ooh, Doctor! You soniced her" Amy said in basically her gossipy tone. I rolled my eyes once again, because it was clear from this that we may be twins, but we were in no way the same.

"We have a minute. Shall we?" River called, opening a blue book that looked very familiar. "Where were we up to? Have we done the Bone Meadows?" River asked the Doctor as she got close to us.

"What's the book?" Amy asked

"Stay away from it." Both the Doctor and I said sharply to Amy. I recognized that book now, I touched the purple version I had in the back pocket. The book that held the future, present, and past.

"What is it though?" Amy asked

"Her diary." The Doctor answered

"Our diary." River interjected, I felt my hands curl up into fists though I took a deep breath, we would only be here for a few minutes. Probably wait for her convoy to show up before we took our leave, as long as Amy didn't open her trap again.

"Her past, my... future. Time travel. We keep meeting in the wrong order." He cleared up for us. I felt a slight breeze and turned to look at four columns of swirling "dust" appear then turn into four soldiers in desert camouflage uniforms. One of the soldiers approached River. The rest of her party was here, she was no longer alone here, we could leave. I took the Doctor's hand and got ready to tug at him to return on our tour of space and time, away from that woman. There was something about that woman I didn't like.

"You promised me an army, Doctor Song." The Soldier said to River

"No. I promised you the equivalent of an army. This is the Doctor." River said gesturing to us. The Doctor gave a lighthearted salute with the hand that wasn't grasped in mine.

"Father Octavian, sir. Bishop, second class. 20 clerics at my command. The troops are already in the drop ship and landing shortly. Doctor Song was helping us with a covert investigation. Has Doctor Song explained what we're dealing with?" The Soldier introduced himself shaking the Doctor's free hand.

"Doctor, what do you know of the Weeping Angels?" River asked. Information ran through my brain. The Angels had a file at Torchwood. We never ran into them but we had heard of them from a woman named Sally Sparrow, she owned a video rental that I used to go to sometimes. The Doctor faced her quickly, immediately tense. Clearly, I was not the only one who had heard of them, and I suddenly knew then that we would not be leaving anytime soon.

It was night, we were still there, a transport ship arrived and the soldiers have already set up camp not far from the crashed ship. We were following Father Octavian as he walked across the camp. "The Angel, as far as we know, is still trapped in the ship. Our mission is to get inside and neutralise it. We can't get through up top, we'd be too close to the drives. According to this," He showed us a handheld device" behind the cliff face, there's a network of catacombs leading right up to the temple. We can blow through the base of the cliffs, get into the entrance chamber, then make our way up."

"Oh, good." The Doctor replied

"Good, sir?" Father Octavian asked

"Catacombs, probably dark ones. Dark catacombs, great!" The Doctor answered. It was starting to be clear that the Doctor wasn't really listening.

"Technically, I think it's called a maze of the dead." Father Octavian added

"You can stop any time you like." The Doctor said, staring up at the building distracted.

"Father Octavian?" A Soldier called

"Excuse me, sir." Father Octavian said. The Doctor waved off Father Octavian as he left. I looked behind me to make sure he was gone before smacking the Doctor's arm, "That was rude!" I hissed at him, though he waved me off too as he thought. He used the screwdriver on some of the equipment set up on the table.

"You're letting people call you "sir". You never do that." Amy said as she sat on the table, "So, whatever a Weeping Angel is, it's really bad, yeah?"

"Now that's interesting..." The Doctor said as he snapped out of his thoughts. He looked at both of us. "You're still here. Which part of "Wait in the TARDIS till I tell you it's safe" was so confusing?"

I raised my eyebrow with a dull look, "How about the part where I know how to deal with Weeping Angels." The Doctor gave me a look that was a mix of confusion and curiosity. I just gave him a shrug, "I have a job and a life Doctor. Ran into a lady at a video store who knew of them awhile back." He had a brief look of nostalgia on his face before turning to Amy, to see her explanation.

"Ooh, are you all Mr Grumpy Face today?" Amy said to the Doctor with a pout and a baby tone.

"A Weeping Angel, Amy, is the deadliest, most powerful, most malevolent life form evolution has ever produced, and one is trapped inside that wreckage and I'm supposed to climb in with a screwdriver and a torch--and assuming I survive the radiation, and the whole ship doesn't blow up in my face--do something clever which I haven't actually thought of yet. That's my day, that's what I'm up to. Any questions?" He replied

"I'm coming with." I chirped in. He looked at me with a resigned look, knowing he couldn't stop me from going.

"Is River Song your wife? Cos she's someone from your future, and the way she talks to you, I've never seen anyone do that. She's kinda like, you know, "Heel, boy!" She's Mrs Doctor from the future, isn't she? Is she gonna be your wife one day?" Amy asked, I quietly groaned, I didn't need to constantly hear about how River should be his wife, especially from my own sister, my TWIN sister. Who should of caught on by now of how I felt about this, or even my jealousy of River. But there was nothing I could do, she was my sister, and the sister who was more confident. I closed my eyes waiting for the Doctor's answer.

"Yes. You're right." I felt my heart and soul drop at the answer, and then he added "I am definitely Mr Grumpy Face today." He replied, not answering Amy's question. My eyes shot open and I gave a brief quiet smile, I still had a chance with him.

"Doctor? Doctor!" River called from inside the transport.

"Oops! Her indoors!" Amy said

"Father Octavian!" River called, all of us walked to the transport.

"Why do they call them Father?" Amy asked, I gave the Doctor a questioning look, I was wondering about this as well.

"He's their Bishop, they're his clerics. It's the 51st Century, the Church has moved on." The Doctor answered.

We entered the transport ship, and we saw a screen with a black and white footage of a Weeping Angel. Its body was at an angel to us, hands over its eyes. River was controlling the video with a remote. I stared at the angel, not wanting to blink. Even though it was only footage, it should be harmless but one could not be too careful.

"What do you think? It's from the security cameras in the  _Byzantium_  vault. I ripped it when I was on board. Sorry about the quality. It's four seconds. I've put it on loop." River said

"Yeah, it's an Angel. Hands covering its face." The Doctor confirmed, I nodded not taking my eyes off the screen.

"You've encountered the Angels before?" Father Octavian asked

"Once, on Earth, a long time ago. But those were scavengers, barely surviving." He answered

"It's just a statue." Amy stated. I was about to argue Amy when River replied "It's a statue when you see it."

"Where did it come from?" The Doctor questioned

"Oh, pulled from the ruins of Razbahan, end of last century. It's been in private hands ever since, dormant all that time." River answered

"There's a difference between dormant and patient." He replied, and I nodded agreeing.

"What's that mean, it's a statue when you see it?" Amy asked.

"The Weeping Angels can only move if they're unseen. So legend has it." River answered

"No, it's not legend, it's a quantum lock. In the sight of any living creature, the Angels literally cease to exist. They're just stone. The ultimate defence mechanism." The Doctor corrected

"What, being a stone?" Amy said skeptic.

"Being a stone... until you turn your back." The Doctor said simultaneously as I muttered it, still not taking my eyes off the statue, I didn't trust it and it definitely wasn't dormant, I had a feeling of it, a bad one. The Doctor led River and Father Octavian out of the transport. I backed to the door until I felt the doorframe, and I quickly turned and got out of the transport, following the Doctor leaving Amy in the doorway.

"The hyperdrive would've split on impact. The whole ship will be flooded with radiation, cracked electrons, gravity storms, deadly to almost any living thing." The Doctor said

"Deadly to an Angel?" Father Octavian questioned

"Dinner to an Angel. The longer we leave it, the stronger it will grow. Who built that temple? Are they still around?" The Doctor corrected

"The Aplans. The indigenous life-form. They died out 400 years ago." River reported reading her handheld.

"200 years later, the planet was terraformed. Currently there are six billion human colonists." Father Octavian added

"You lot, you're everywhere! Like rabbits! I'll never get done saving you." The Doctor said

"Sir, if there is a clear and present danger to the local population..." Father Octavian responded

"Oh, there is. Bad as it gets. Bishop, lock and load!" The Doctor replied

"Verger, how we doing with those explosives? Dr Song, with me." Octavian said as he walked off.

"Two minutes. Sweetie, I need you." River said to the Doctor. I glared at her back as I stood just outside of the ship. The Doctor mouthed "Sweetie" then realized River had meant him and he went to her. I was annoyed and jealous. I kept glaring at River.

"Anybody need me? Nobody?" Amy said as she stood in the transport entry, crossing her arms. She went back inside and looked at the Angel on the screen, entranced. I poked my head in to see what she was doing, and I saw that the Angel had now moved its hands away from its face. I knew it! It wasn't dormant, it was just waiting. Waiting for us. I warned Amy "Amy... get away from the screen. And come back out here."

She shooed at me "In a minute." I looked around for the Doctor and River. Something bad was going to happen soon, I knew it.

_Third POV_

River showed the Doctor a book, a very old book on the Angels. "I found this. Definitive work on the Angels. Well, the only one. Written by a madman, it's barely readable, but I've marked a few passages." She said

The Doctor flipped through the book and finished it "Not bad, bit slow in the middle, didn't you hate his girlfriend? No, hang on, wait, wait!" He replied and sniffed the book.

Amy popped her head out of the transport and yelled "Dr. Song? Did you have more than one clip of the Angel?"

"No, just the four seconds." River answered. With a puzzled look Amy went back inside of the transport ship, Avery gave Amy an annoyed look before waiting.

"This book is wrong! What's wrong with this book, it's wrong." The Doctor said

_Avery's POV_

I popped my head into the transport ship and noticed the Angel changed once again and was facing forward, hands down at its side. I popped my head out and started heading over to River and the Doctor to tell them about the Angel moving. I heard the door close and lock to the transport ship, I turned back around and tried to open the door. "Shit!" I gave up on opening the door and started running to River and the Doctor.

River was observing the Doctor as he examined the book. I leaned down trying to catch my breath.

"Oh, it's so strange when you go all baby-face. How early is this for you?" River asked holding her journal.

"Very early." He replied

"So you don't know who I am yet?" She asked

"How do you know who I am? I don't always look the same." He questioned

"I've got pictures of all your faces. You never show up in the right order though. I need the spotter's guide." She answered

"Pictures? Why aren't there pictures?" He said as found something odd.

I could hear Amy distantly calling for the Doctor.

"This whole book - it's a warning, about the Weeping Angels. So why no pictures? Why not show us what to look out for?" He thought aloud

"There was a bit about images." River responded

"Yes! Hang on.." He flipped through the book once more. "'That which holds the image of an angel becomes itself an angel.'"

"What does that mean? 'An image of an angel becomes itself an angel." River asked

I caught my breath and said "Amy is stuck in the transport with that angel Doctor. It's not dormant."

"Amy!" The Doctor yelled as he ran to the transport with River and I following.

"Doctor!" I could hear Amy reply

He ran up to the door "Are you all right? What's happening?" He asked

"Doctor! Doctor, it's coming out of the television. The Angel is here." Amy replied scared

"Don't take your eyes off it!" He told her as he took out his sonic screwdriver and used it on the keypad "It can't move if you're looking. What's wrong? It's deadlocked."

"There is no deadlock." River replied trying to override controls.

"Don't blink, Amy! Don't even blink!" The Doctor ordered Amy.

I muttered "Don't blink, blink and you're dead." The Doctor looked over at me, as though he remembered the words. Sally told me them when I had talked to her, she told me that the Doctor had told her that through a set of extras on video tapes when he was sent back to 1969. I didn't think that was my Doctor who had said that.

"Doctor!" Amy yelled

"What are you doing?" River asked

"Cutting the power. It's using the screen, I'm turning the screen off. It's no good, it's deadlocked the whole system." The Doctor answered

"There's no deadlock." River replied

"There is now!" The Doctor retorted

"Help me!" Amy said from inside

"Amy! Can you turn it off?" The Doctor asked her

"Doctor!" Amy said

"The screen, can you turn it off?" The Doctor asked again

"I tried." Amy responded

"Try again but don't take your eyes off the Angel." He told her

"I'm not!" Amy answered.

I spoke up "Amy, the remote. Try that!"

"Each time it moves, it'll move faster. Don't even blink." The Doctor said

"I'm not blinking! Have you ever tried not blinking?" Amy answered stressed. I rolled my eyes. "It just keeps switching back on!"

"Yeah, it's the Angel." The Doctor responded

"But it's just a recording." Amy replied

"No, anything that takes the image of an Angel is an Angel." He told her, before turning to River and asking "What are you doing?"

"I'm trying to cut through. It's not even warm." She replied using a small blowtorch.

"There is no way in, it's not physically possible." He said, at that I pushed and pulled at the door, as though that might help.

"Doctor! What's it gonna do to me?" Amy asked

"Just keep looking at it. Don't stop looking!" The Doctor said

"Just tell me. Tell me. Tell me!" Amy whined

The Doctor ran for the book and brings it back to just outside the transport door where he sits. I look over his shoulder. "Amy, not the eyes. Look anywhere but don't look at the eyes." He told Amy, I shook my head because I knew as soon as he said that, she was looking the angel in the eyes because he said not to.

"Why?" Amy replied

"What is it?" River asked

"'The eyes are not the windows of the soul, they are the doors. Beware what may enter there.'" The Doctor recited from the book.

"Doctor, what did you say?" Amy asked

"Don't look at the eyes!" The Doctor responded

"No, about images, what did you say about images?" Amy said

"Whatever holds the image of an angel, is an angel." I replied just as River was about to.

"Ok... Hold this. One, two, three, four..." I could hear Amy saying. The door popped open and I ran in to hug Amy tightly, the Doctor and River right behind me. The Doctor unplugged the screen.

"I froze it! There was a sort of blip on the tape and I froze it on the blip. It wasn't the image of an angel any more. That was good, yeah? It was, wasn't it? That was pretty good." Amy said

"That was amazing!" River told her.

"River, hug Amy." The Doctor said, I rolled my eyes as I knew what he was doing.

"Why?" Amy asked

"Cos I'm busy." He answered

"I'm fine." Amy responded

"You're brilliant!" River said as she hugged Amy and I moved over to the Doctor where he was sonicing the plug.

"Thanks. Yeah. I kind of creamed it, didn't I?" Amy said

"So it was here? That was the Angel?" River said

"That was a projection of the Angel. It's reaching out, getting a good look at us. It's no longer dormant." The Doctor responded, giving me a look and nod of recognition as I had told him it wasn't dormant. At least someone was listening to me around here. I smiled at him. The moment didn't last long as the transport ship shook with a shockwave of an explosion from outside. The Doctor ran to the door, I was right behind him. "Doctor! We're through!" Father Octavian shouted to us.

The Doctor looked at us "OK. Now it starts." He went outside and I followed, briefly noticing Amy rubbing her left eye as we left.

"Coming?" I heard River ask Amy

"Yeah, coming. There's just... something in my eye." Amy responded.

The Doctor climbed down a rope ladder and joined Father Octavian at the bottom, both turning on their torches looking around inside of the main chamber of The Maze Of The Dead. I was right behind the Doctor looking around. Amy and River with the other soldiers joined us.

"Do we have a gravity globe?" The Doctor asked

"Grav globe." Father Octavian requested, one of the soldiers took out a sphere from his pack and handed it to Father Octavian.

"Where are we? What is this?" Amy asked, I shook my head, didn't that girl listen to anything.

"It's an Aplan mortarium. Sometimes called a maze of the dead." River answered

"And what's that?" Amy wondered

**"Well, if you happen to be a creature of living stone..." The Doctor responded, he kicked the gravity sphere like a football and it rises into the air, stops and then lights up the cave showing a large number of stone statues. He adds "The perfect hiding place."**


	14. Chapter 13: The Statues Are Alive

**RECAP:**

**The Doctor climbed down a rope ladder and joined Father Octavian at the bottom, both turning on their torches looking around inside of the main chamber of The Maze Of The Dead. I was right behind the Doctor looking around. Amy and River with the other soldiers joined us.**

**“Do we have a gravity globe?” The Doctor asked**

**“Grav globe.” Father Octavian requested, one of the soldiers took out a sphere from his pack and handed it to Father Octavian.**

**“Where are we? What is this?” Amy asked, I shook my head, didn’t that girl listen to anything.**

**“It's an Aplan mortarium. Sometimes called a maze of the dead.” River answered**

**“And what’s that?” Amy wondered**

**“Well, if you happen to be a creature of living stone...” The Doctor responded, he kicked the gravity sphere like a football and it rises into the air, stops and then lights up the cave showing a large number of stone statues. He adds “The perfect hiding place.”**

 

_Avery’s POV_

Weeping Angels could be anywhere among those statues, majority of those statues could be. I bit my lip, surely there only had to be a few actual creatures of stone that could whisk you back in time and kill you by a death of old age. They were kind in a way, but they sucked up the potentials you could of had in this lifetime. I guess we’d find out soon.

Father Octavian spoke from beside us “I guess this makes it a bit trickier.”

The Doctor replied “A bit, yeah.”

“A stone angel on the loose amongst stone statues. A lot harder than I'd prayed for.” Father Octavian added.

“A needle in a haystack.” River added

“A needle that looks like hay. A hay-like needle. Of death. A hay-like needle of death in a haystackof, er, statues. No, yours was fine.” The Doctor said

“Right.  Check every single statue in this chamber. You know what you're looking for. Complete visual inspection. One question - how do we fight it?” Father Octavian asked

“We find it, and hope.” The Doctor answered before walking off, Amy followed right behind him. I was right behind them when I noticed that when River went to follow, Father Octavian stopped her. I slowed down to hear what had to be said, River was hiding something and Father Octavian knew what it was.

“He doesn't know yet, does he? Who and what you are.” Father Octavian asked River

“It’s too early in his time stream.” River answered

“Well, make sure he doesn't work it out, or he's not gonna help us.” Father Octavian ordered River.

“I won't let you down. Believe you me, I have no intention of going back to prison.” River replied. PRISON?! I thought in my head, before picking up speed to catch up with the Doctor and Amy before River noticed I had been eavesdropping. That woman was a felon. Criminal. Reminded me of Mel for sure... But what was River in prison for? I guess I would have to find out.

I caught up with the Doctor and Amy in the upward passage of The Maze Of The Dead. The Doctor was shining his torch in every direction. Amy was following, though she stopped and looked at the many levels above us and all the statues lining the way. I noticed her rubbing the corner of her eye with one finger before using her full hand to rub that eye. There was something wrong, I knew there was, once I noticed her face looking scared after stopping and looking at her hand. Clearly she saw something that we couldn’t see. River came up beside us.

“You all right?” River asked Amy

“Yeah, I'm fine. So, what's a maze of the dead?” Amy replied

“Oh, it's not as bad as it sounds. It's just a labyrinth with dead people buried in the walls. OK, that was fairly bad. Right give me your arm.” River said as she showed Amy the syringe “This won't hurt a bit.” She gave Amy a shot.

“Ow!” Amy shrieked

“There, you see. I lied. It's a viro-stabiliser. Stabilises your metabolism against radiation, drive burn, anything. You're going to need it when we get up to that ship.” River told her as she came over to me, not saying a word to me as she gave me the shot.

“So what's he like? In the future, I mean. Cos you know him in the future, don't you?” Amy asked

“The Doctor? Well, the Doctor's the Doctor.” River answered

“Oh, well that's very helpful. Mind if I write that down?” Amy said sarcastically

“Yes, we are.” River said out of the blue.

“Sorry, what?” The Doctor asked as he took reading with River’s device.

“Talking about you.” River answered

“I wasn’t listening, I’m busy.” The Doctor said

“Ah. The other way up.” River told him. He turned the device the other way round and looks over at River who merely raised her eyebrows.

“Yeah.” He replied

“You’re so his wife.” Amy said

“Oh, Amy, Amy, Amy! This is the Doctor we’re talking about. Do you really think it could be anything that simple?” River replied. I didn’t want to hear anymore of this conversation as the monster in the pit of my stomach growled and clawed in jealousy. I walked over to the Doctor and looked at the device that I couldn’t make heads or tails of but I still tried to understand it.

We were examining the statues when we heard gunfire. We ran back down to the main chamber. We found a young cleric had fired his weapon at one of the statues. The Doctor stopped to look at it.

“Sorry. Sorry, I thought... I thought it looked at me.” The young cleric said

“We know what the Angel looks like. Is that the Angel?” Father Octavian scolded

“No, sir.” The young cleric replied. I walked up beside the cleric and put my hand on his shoulder. They may have been looking for the Angel. But I had a gut feeling that there were more and they may not looking like angels and may just be statues. I’d rather be safe than sorry.

“No, sir, it is not! According to the Doctor, we are facing an enemy of unknowable power and infinite evil. So it would be good, it would be very good, if we could all remain calm in the presence of decor.” Father Octavian said

“What’s your name?” The Doctor asked the young cleric

“Bob, sir.” Bob replied

“Ah, that's a great name. I love Bob.” The Doctor said

“It's a Sacred Name. We all have Sacred Names, they're given to us in the service of the Church.” Father Octavian added in.

“Sacred Bob. More like Scared Bob now, eh?” The Doctor said

“Yes, sir.” Bob replied

“Ah, good. Scared keeps you fast. Anyone in this room who isn't scared is a moron. Carry on.” The Doctor said.

“We'll be moving into the maze in two minutes.” Father Octavian reported before ordering Bob “You stay with Christian and Angelo. Guard the approach.”

They left and I turned to Bob to introduce myself “I’m Avery by the way. The Doctor is right, it’s better to be scared than not. Especially here. I would say it was better to shoot that statue than not. I have a feeling there is more Angels around, and they may just look like statues. Better safe and sorry than not. Anyways, I got to go catch up with them before they leave me behind.” Bob nodded at me as I left giving him a slight wave, which he returned.

I caught up to the rest of the group thankfully without running into any Angels. “Isn't there a chance this lot's just gonna collapse? There's a whole ship up there.” I heard Amy ask from behind my spot beside the Doctor.

“Incredible builders, the Aplans.” River replied

“Had dinner with their chief architect once. Two heads are better than one.” The Doctor added

“You mean you helped him?” Amy asked

“No, I mean he had two heads. That book, the very end, what did it say?” The Doctor said, as I laughed.

“Hang on.” River replied getting the book out of the pack.

“Read it to me.” The Doctor said

“"What if we had ideas that could think for themselves? What if one day our dreams no longer needed us? When these things occur and are held to be true, the time will be upon us. The time of Angels."” River read out to us.

A few minutes later

“Are we there yet? It's a hell of a climb.” Amy asked, basically complaining. I was enjoying the walk, it was sort of refreshing to do a climb in a cave.

“The maze is on six levels representing the ascent of the soul. Only two levels to go.” River replied

“Lovely species, the Aplans. We should visit them some time.” The Doctor said absent-minded.

“I thought they were all dead?” Amy asked

“So's Virginia Woolf. I'm on her bowling team. Very relaxed, sort of cheerful. That's having two heads. You're never short of a snog with an extra head.” The Doctor said

“Doctor, there's something. I don't know what it is... “ River said

“Yeah, something wrong. Don't know what it is yet either, working on it. Then they started having laws against self-marrying and what was that about? But that's the church for you. Erm, no offence, Bishop.” The Doctor replied

“Quite a lot taken, if that's all right, Doctor” Father Octavian answered.

We arrived in a narrow passage lined with statues.

“Lowest point in the wreckage is only about 50 feet up from here. That way.” Father Octavian said

“Church had a point, if you think about it. The divorces must have been messy.” Amy said adding to the previous conversation.

“Oh!” The Doctor said as he stopped and looked closely at a statue. I came over and looked at the statue too. I think they noticed, that we were surrounded by Angels.

“What’s wrong?” Amy asked

“Oh.” River said in realization staring at the Doctor.

“Exactly.” The Doctor replied

“How could we not notice that?” River asked

“Low level perception filter, or maybe we're thick.” The Doctor answered

“I noticed... Nobody listened to me.” I mumbled crossing my arms.

“What’s wrong, sir?” Father Octavian asked

“Nobody move. Everyone stay exactly where they are. Bishop, I am truly sorry. I've made a mistake and we are all in danger.” The Doctor ordered

“What danger?” Father Octavian asked

“The Aplans.” River answered

“The Aplans?” Father Octavian said

“They’ve got two heads.” River pointed out

“Yes, I get that. So?” Father Octavian said

“So why don't the statues? Everyone, over there. Just move, don't ask questions, don't speak.” The Doctor pointed out before ordering everyone. Everyone moved to a spot where there were no statues. “OK. I want you all to switch off your torches.”

“Sir?” Father Octavian asked

“Just do it.”The Doctor ordered as we all turned off our torches except for the single one left by the Doctor “OK. I'm going to turn off this one too, just for a moment.”

“Are you sure about this?” River asked

“No.” The Doctor admitted as he turned off his torch for a split second and the statues in front of us are now facing us. The Doctor ran ahead.

“Oh, my God! They’ve moved.” Amy said

“No shit Sherlock.” I said to Amy as I ran after the Doctor. Everyone following behind the Doctor as he looked at all of the statues lining our way to the ship.

“They’re Angels. All of them!” The Doctor reported

“But they can’t be.” River said

“But they can.” I replied

“Clerics, keep watching them.” The Doctor ordered as he backtracked and saw the Angels have moved forward.  **“Every statue in this maze, every single one, is a Weeping Angel. They’re coming after us.”**


	15. Chapter 14: Trapped in Enemy Territory

**Chapter 14:** Trapped in Enemy Territory

 

**I don't own Doctor Who or Torchwood whatsoever, BBC does, and I’m just a fan with an idea.**

 

**RECAP:**

**“No.” The Doctor admitted as he turned off his torch for a split second and the statues in front of us are now facing us. The Doctor ran ahead.**

**“Oh, my God! They’ve moved.” Amy said**

**“No shit Sherlock.” I said to Amy as I ran after the Doctor. Everyone following behind the Doctor as he looked at all of the statues lining our way to the ship.**

**“They’re Angels. All of them!” The Doctor reported**

**“But they can’t be.” River said**

**“But they can.” I replied**

**“Clerics, keep watching them.” The Doctor ordered as he backtracked and saw the Angels have moved forward. “Every statue in this maze, every single one, is a Weeping Angel. They’re coming after us.”**

_Avery’s POV_

I followed after the Doctor, never fully taking my eyes off of the Angels as we passed by them.  I didn’t trust anyone but the Doctor and I to be vigilant about the Angels, even though I knew that River could be trusted to be vigilant, although after finding out that she was a felon and the fact there was something off about her, I just didn’t trust her. “There was only one Angel on the ship. Just the one, I swear.” River swore to the Doctor.

“Could they have been here already?” Amy questioned

“The Aplans, how did they die out?” The Doctor asked River, I looked over to her. It was a good question considering how the statues didn’t have two heads.

“Nobody knows.” River replied

“We know.” The Doctor corrected. I knew the answer was obvious. The Angels had killed the Aplans, but the question was how long ago did it happen?

“They don’t look like Angels.” Father Octavian said.

“And they're not fast. You said they were fast. They should have had us by now.” Amy added

“They're dying. Losing their form. They must have been down here for centuries, starving.” The Doctor replied. And that was my answer to my unasked question

“Losing their image.” I replied

“And their image is their power. Power. Power!” The Doctor added before coming to a realisation as he observed one of the statues.

“Doctor?” Amy and I asked

“Don't you see? All that radiation spilling out, the drive burn. The crash wasn't an accident - it was a rescue mission, for the Angels. We're in the middle of an army and it's waking up.” Doctor answered. My eyes widened coming to the same realisation. I knew it was strange, I knew something wasn’t right and here was my answer.

“We need to get out of here fast.” River said.

“Agreed.” I agreed.

“Bob, Angelo, Christian, come in, please. Any of you, come in!” Father Octavian ordered into the radio.

“It’s Bob, sir. Sorry, sir.” Bob answered over the radio. I walked closer, there was something wrong, I knew it. I made my way over to another cleric and borrowed their radio. I knew the Doctor would end up using Octavian’s radio. I made my way back quickly.

“Bob, are Angelo and Christian with you? All the statues are active. I repeat, all the statues are active!” Father Octavian spoke into the radio.

“I know, sir. Angelo and Christian are dead, sir. The statues killed them, sir.” Bob replied over the radio. And just as I knew it, the Doctor moved over and took the radio from Father Octavian.

“Bob, Sacred Bob, it's me, the Doctor. Where are you now?” The Doctor asked into the radio. I knew the answer.

“I'm talking to my...” Father Octavian tried to argue.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah, shut up!” The Doctor said to Father Octavian.

“I’m on my way up to you, sir, I’m homing on your signal.” Bob answered over the radio. I scooted in between the Doctor and Father Octavian, and grabbed the Doctor’s free hand. I wanted to tell him, I really did. But he would find out soon anyways and I didn’t want to be shushed up like Father Octavian.

“Well done, Bob. Scared keeps you fast, told you, didn’t I? Your friends, Bob, what did the Angel do to them?” The Doctor praised into the radio.

“Snapped their necks, sir.” Bob answered over the radio. Another red flag, not a normal way that an Angel kills, though these were not the normal Angels of my day.

“That's odd. That's not how the Angels kill you, they displace you in time. Unless they needed the bodies for something.” The Doctor noted

“Bob, did you check their data packs for vital signs? We may be able to initiate a rescue plan.” Father Octavian said into the radio that he stole back from the Doctor, who just took it back and said to Father Octavian “Don't be an idiot! The Angels don't leave you alive!” But said to Bob realising something that I was going to point out to him in the next minute if he hadn’t of made it himself. “Bob, keep running, but tell me, how did you escape?”

“I didn’t escape, sir. The Angel killed me, too” Bob replied over radio. The Doctor and Father Octavian looked at each other wondering what he meant. I rolled my eyes and took my own radio speaking into it “Bob, Avery here, what do you mean the Angel killed you too?”

“Snapped my neck, ma’am. Wasn't as painless as I expected but it was pretty quick, so that was something.” Bob replied back over the radio.

“If you're dead, how can I be talking to you?” The Doctor asked into his radio cautiously.

“You're not talking to me, sir. The Angel has no voice. It stripped my cerebral cortex from my body and re-animated a version of my consciousness to communicate with you. Sorry about the confusion.” Bob replied over the radio.

“So when you say you're on your way up to us...” I said into my radio

“It's the Angel that's coming, ma’am, yes.” Bob’s voice replied over the radio.

“No way out.” The Doctor said. I looked around, working at Torchwood and my small adventures with the Doctor so far, I learned there was always a way out, you just had to look for it. I looked up at the wreckage and smiled.

“Then we get out through the wreckage. Go!” Father Octavian ordered.

“Go, go, go. All of you run!” The Doctor said, letting go of my hand and pushing me forward, as if to go on without him. I gave him a confused look.

“Doctor?” Amy said.

“Yes, I'm coming, just go, go, go!” The Doctor replied, giving me a look as Amy and River moved ahead with the clerics, leaving only the Doctor, Father Octavian and I to remain. “Avery. Go. I’ll be right behind.” He reassured me. I followed after the others with no argument, trusting him. I don’t need to seem needy after all, like I’m not a big girl who needs her raggedy man to hold her hand through the maze of the dead. I just didn’t want to lose him again. I listened in, through my radio as the Doctor talked to Bob. “Angel Bob, which Angel am I talking to? The one from the ship?”

“Yes, sir. The other Angels are still restoring.” Angel Bob replied

“Ah, so the Angel is not in the wreckage. Thank you.”  The Doctor said before coming after us. Father Octavian had already passed me and moved on. I ran into Amy who wasn’t moving. I stopped beside her and gave her a questioning look. The Doctor ran passed us and said “Don't wait for me, go, run.”

“I can’t!” Amy replied, I gave her an odd look, she looked fine, though the Doctor came back to help her. “No, really I can’t.” He gave her the same questioning look as I did when I found her.

“Why not?” The Doctor asked

“Look at it. Look at my hand. It's stone!” Amy replied panicked, her hand was gripping the rail and looked completely fine to me. The Doctor started examining Amy, flashing a torch in her eyes. I sighed, she looked into the eyes of an Angel as I knew she would and the effects were starting to take hold.

“You looked into the eyes of an Angel, didn't you?” The Doctor questioned

“I couldn't stop myself. I tried.” Amy confirmed. I knew my twin.

“Listen. It's messing with your head. Your hand is not made of stone.” He reassured

“It is. Look at it!” She argued.

“It's in your mind. I promise you. You can move that hand. You can let go.” He tried again.

“I can't, OK? I've tried and I can't. It's stone.” She argued again, just as the torchlight began to flicker. It was getting close.

“The Angel is gonna come and it's gonna turn this light off, and then there's nothing I can do to stop it. So do it, concentrate, move your hand!” The Doctor said

“I can’t” Amy argued

“Then we're going to die.” I said with the Doctor.

“You're not going to die.” Amy argued, ignoring the fact both her and I were in the equations, and unlike the Doctor, we were far from invincible and were very easy to kill.

“They'll kill the lights.” The Doctor replied. And just as he said that, the light flickered and I could feel the Angels moving closer.

“You've got to go, you know you have. You've got all that stuff with River and that's all got to happen. You know you can't die here!” Amy said. She was practically throwing it in my face once again, being oblivious to the fact that her own sister liked the Doctor. I just want to slap her sometimes, but that’s not who I am.

“Time can be re-written, it doesn't work like that.” The Doctor replied, not confirming. The light flickered again, Amy and I turned to look at the Angels. I didn’t blink.

“Keep your eyes on it. Don’t blink.” The Doctor ordered

“Run!” Amy said to the both of us.

“You see, I'm not going, I'm not leaving you here.” The Doctor replied

“Neither am I.” I added, even though the Doctor gave me a pointed look and a small shove. As if I would run and leave both of them behind. It was all or none at all for me at that moment.

“I don't need you to die for me, Doctor, do I look that clingy? Avery, you may be my twin but I don’t need you to die for me either.” Amy said

“You can move your hand.” The Doctor said

“It’s stone.” Amy argued

“It’s not stone!” The Doctor argued back.

“Those people up there will die without you. If you stay here with me, you'll have as good as killed them.” Amy tried to argue. I got an idea and whispered it to the Doctor.

“Amy Pond, you are magnificent. And I'm sorry.” The Doctor said

“It's OK. I understand. You've got to leave me.”  Amy replied

“Oh, no, I'm not leaving you, never. I'm sorry about this.” The Doctor said moving slightly to allow me access to her hand, and I bit it. She screamed and moved her hand. “See, not stone. Now run!” I said, pulling both of them after me by their hand running after the others away from the Angels.

“You bit me!” Amy said to me

“Yep and you’re alive.” I replied

“I’ve got a mark! Look at my hand!” She complained pushing her other hand in front of my face.

“Yeah, and you're alive, did I mention?” I replied

“Blimey, your teeth!” Amy said

“You’re forgetting who exactly bit those psychiatrists. But alive, all I’m saying otherwise.” I spoke quietly to  her. We made it to the Byzantium ship crash site. “Clerics, we're down to four men. Expect incoming.” Father Octavian said

“Yeah, it's the Angels. They're coming. And they're draining the power for themselves.” The Doctor replied.

“Which means we won't be able to see them.” Father Octavian said

“Which means we can't stay here.” The Doctor replied

“There are more incoming!” Father Octavian reported

“Any suggestions?” River asked

“The statues are advancing on all sides and we don't have the climbing equipment to reach the Byzantium.” Father Octavian said

“There's no way up, no way back, no way out. No pressure, but this is usually when you have a really good idea.” River said to the Doctor.

“There’s always a way out.” I replied for the Doctor, echoing. The lights flickered off again and came back on. Angels were closer and blocking the passage. No way out now, and we had to make a decision fast. “There’s always a way out.” I said to the Doctor who repeated it.

“Doctor? Can I speak to the Doctor, please?” Angel Bob’s voice coming in over the radio said.

“Hello, Angels. What's your problem?” The Doctor replied into the radio.

“Your power will not last much longer, and the Angels will be with you shortly. Sorry, sir.” Angel Bob reported over the radio.

“Why are you telling me this?” The Doctor asked into the radio.

“There's something the Angels are very keen you should know before the end.” Angel Bob replied over the radio.

“Which is?” The Doctor pressed, into the radio.

“I died in fear.” Angel Bob answered over the radio.

“I’m sorry?” The Doctor said into the radio.

“You told me my fear would keep me alive but I died afraid, in pain and alone. You made me trust you, and when it mattered, you let me down.” Angel Bob replied over the radio.

I overheard Amy and River whispering in the background just as I was about to argue with Angel Bob.

“What are they doing?” Amy whispered to River

“They’re trying to make him angry.” River whispered back to Amy.

“I'm sorry, sir. The Angels were very keen for you to know that.” Angel Bob apologized over the radio.

“Well then, the Angels have made their second mistake because I'm not going to let that pass. I'm sorry you're dead, Bob, but I swear to whatever is left of you, they will be sorrier.” The Doctor swore into the radio. I silently swore my own, he wasn’t the only one who told Bob that fear would keep him alive, I had too and now he was dead.

“But you’re trapped, sir, and about to die.” Angel Bob pointed out over the radio.

“Yeah, I'm trapped. Speaking of traps, this trap has got a great big mistake in it. A great big, whopping mistake!” The Doctor said into the radio.

“What mistake, sir?” Angel Bob asked over the radio.

The Doctor looked over to me and asked “Trust me?”

I smirked “What kind of question is that? Of course.”

He nodded to me before turning to Amy “Trust me?”

“Yeah.” Amy replied

“Trust me?” The Doctor asked River

“Always.” River replied, I rolled my eyes.

“You lot – trust me?” The Doctor said to Father Octavian.

“Sir, two more incoming!” A cleric watching the passage reported.

“We have faith, sir.” Father Octavian replied.

“Then give me your gun.” He gave the Doctor his gun. “I’m about to do something incredibly stupid and dangerous. When I do…” He jumped in place “Jump.” The Doctor told us all

“Jump where?” Father Octavian asked.

“Just jump, high as you can. Come on, leap of faith, Bishop. On my signal.” The Doctor answered

“What signal?” Father Octavian asked again.

“You won’t miss it.” The Doctor answered as he aimed the gun at the roof.

“Sorry, can I ask again? You mentioned a mistake?” Angel Bob asked over the radio.

“Oh, big mistake. Huge. There's one thing you never put in a trap, if you're smart, if you value your continued existence, if you have any plans about seeing tomorrow, there is one thing you never, ever put in a trap.” The Doctor answered into the radio.

“And what would that be, sir?” Angel Bob asked over the radio.

“Me!” The Doctor answered, before firing at the gravity globe which exploded.

**And I jumped as high as I could.**

**To Be Continued in: Flesh and Stone**


	16. Chapter 15: The Doctor Always Has A Plan

**Chapter 15: The Doctor Always Has A Plan**

 

**I don't own Doctor Who or Torchwood whatsoever, BBC does, and I’m just a fan with an idea.**

 

**RECAP:**

**“Then give me your gun.” He gave the Doctor his gun. “I’m about to do something incredibly stupid and dangerous. When I do…” He jumped in place “Jump.” The Doctor told us all**

**“Jump where?” Father Octavian asked.**

**“Just jump, high as you can. Come on, leap of faith, Bishop. On my signal.” The Doctor answered**

**“What signal?” Father Octavian asked again.**

**“You won’t miss it.” The Doctor answered as he aimed the gun at the roof.**

**“Sorry, can I ask again? You mentioned a mistake?” Angel Bob asked over the radio.**

**“Oh, big mistake. Huge. There's one thing you never put in a trap, if you're smart, if you value your continued existence, if you have any plans about seeing tomorrow, there is one thing you never, ever put in a trap.” The Doctor answered into the radio.**

**“And what would that be, sir?” Angel Bob asked over the radio.**

**“Me!” The Doctor answered, before firing at the gravity globe which exploded.**

**And I jumped as high as I could.**

_Avery’s POV_

I was next to my sister, sitting on the ground. Everyone was recovering from the jump. The Doctor stood and said “Up! Look up!”

“You Ok?” River asked Amy, ignoring me completely. I got up and moved over to the Doctor and looked up as he said. The sight was a surprising one. We had managed to change gravity. What was once up was now down and vice versa. I smirked at the Doctor.

“What happened?” Amy asked

“We jumped.” River replied

“Jumped where?” Amy asked again

“Up, up, look up!” The Doctor insisted.

“Where are we?” Amy questioned

“Exactly where we were.” River answered

“No we’re not.” I replied, just as Amy was about to reply with the same thing, just I beat her to it.

“Move your feet!” The Doctor ordered as he began to sonic an indentation on the floor.

“Doctor, what am I looking at? Explain.” Amy asked looking around

“Oh, come on, Amy, think! The ship crashed with the power still on, yeah? So what else is still on?” The Doctor pointed out. They were slow, it wasn’t hard to figure out. “The artificial gravity. One good jump,” he jumped to demonstrate what he was saying “and up we fell. Shot out the grav-globe to give us an updraft, and here we are!” He returned to sonic the indentation.

“Doctor. The statues, they look more like Angels now.” Father Octavian noted.

“They're feeding on the radiation from the wreckage, draining all the power from the ship, restoring themselves. Within an hour, they'll be an army!” The Doctor replied. The indentation that he had been sonicking opened up into the ship just as the lights started going out. That wasn’t good. They were beginning to take out the lights so they could get to us without us looking at them. I took no instruction and climbed into the hole, I wasn’t going to be Angel food.

“They're taking out the lights. Look at them, look at the Angels. Into the ship, now, quickly all of you!” The Doctor ordered as he slipped into the hole after me.

“Well hurry up now. Don’t need to be Angel chow.” I encouraged.

“But how? Doctor! Avery!” Amy said to us before peering into the hole to see us standing upright.

“It's just a corridor. The gravity orientates to the floor. Now, in here, all of you., don't take your eyes off the Angels. Move, move, move!” The Doctor said again as he used the screwdriver on a keypad.

“OK, men, go, go, go!” Father Octavian ordered before joining us. “The Angels, presumably they can jump up too?” He asked the Doctor. The door closed when everyone was inside.

“They're here. Now. In the dark, we're finished. Run!” The Doctor said. The large door behind us closed, blocking our only way out. We were definite Angel chow if the Doctor didn’t find a way out, but I had faith in him.

“This whole place is a death trap.” Father Octavian noted.

“No, it's a time bomb. Well, it's a death trap and a time bomb. And now it's a dead end. Nobody panic.” The Doctor corrected. I took a few breaths and looked at my surroundings for a way out, even a nice sized vent would be helpful. The Angels tried to come in the exterior door.

“Oh, just me then. What's through here?” The Doctor said. Before amending looking at me, noticing that I wasn’t panicking and I was giving him a sharp look. “Ok, us.”

“Secondary flight deck.” River replied.

“OK. so we've basically run up the inside of a chimney, yeah? So what if the gravity fails?” Amy asked. River began to work on bypassing the power.

“I've thought about that.” The Doctor answered.

“And?” Amy prodded for more answers.

“And we'll all plunge to our deaths. See. I've thought about it. The security protocols are still live. There's no way to override them, it's impossible.” He replied.

“How impossible?” River asked

“Two minutes.” The Doctor answered. The hum of the engines powered down and our way in had reopened and the cavern could be seen outside. We were Angel chow if he didn’t get it.

“The hull is breached and the power’s failing.” Father Octavian reported just before the lights went out. I saw the arm of an Angel through the opening. Now was the time to panic. There had to be a way to bypass the stupid door that was in our way of safety. I was far too young to be Angel chow.

“Sir! Incoming!” A cleric reported.

“Doctor! Lights.” I said. The Doctor began to use the sonic to help River. The light came on briefly and we saw an Angel making its way inside. The lights went out again and came back brighter to show four Angels inside the corridor with us.

“Clerics, keep watching them.” Father Octavian ordered.

“And don't look at their eyes. Anywhere else. Not the eyes. I've isolated the lighting grid. They can't drain the power now.” The Doctor added

“Good work, Doctor.” Father Octavian complimented.

“Yes. good. Good in many ways, good you like it so far...” The Doctor responded

“So far?” I asked

“Well, there's only one way to open this door. I guess I'll need to route all the power in this section through the door control.” The Doctor answered.

“Good, fine, do it.” Father Octavian accepted

“Including the lights. All of them. I'll need to turn out the lights.” The Doctor said

“How long for?” Father Octavian questioned

“Fraction of a second, maybe longer. Maybe quite a bit longer.” He answered

“Maybe?” Father Octavian asked

“I'm guessing. We're being attacked by statues in a crashed ship, there isn't a manual for this!” The Doctor admitted

“Doctor, we lost the torches. We'll be in total darkness.” I told him.

“No other way. Bishop?” The Doctor said

“Dr Song, I've lost good Clerics today. You trust this man?” Father Octavian asked

“I absolutely trust him.” River answered.

“He's not some kind of madman then?” Father Octavian added

“I absolutely trust him” River repeated, not answering the question. I stifled my laughter. The Doctor could be trust, but he was 100% a madman in a blue box.

“Excuse me.” The Doctor said going back to the door, not listening to the conversation between Father Octavian and Dr Song.

“I 'm taking your word, because you're the only one who can manage this guy. But that only works so long as he doesn't know who you are. You cost me any more men, and I might just tell him. Understood?” Father Octavian said sternly to River.

“Understood.” She responded.

“Ok. Doctor, we’ve got your back.” Father Octavian reported.

“Bless you, Bishop.” The Doctor responded.

“Combat distance, ten feet. As soon as the lights go down, continuous fire. Full spread over the hostiles. Do not stop firing while the lights are out. Shot gun protocol, we don't have bullets to waste.” Father Octavian ordered his Clerics.

“Amy, when the lights go down, the wheel should release. Spin it clockwise, four turns.” The Doctor told her.

“Ten.” Amy said. I looked at her strangely, something wasn’t right with her. I had that niggling feeling.

“No, four, four turns.” The Doctor corrected

“Yeah, four, I heard you.” Amy said taking her position at the door.

“Ready!” The Doctor said as he placed his sonic into the circuit.

“On my count then. God be with us all. Three... two...one.” Father Octavian said. And then ordered as the lights went out “Fire!” And the clerics opened fire on the Angels. We, being The Doctor, Amy, River and I, tried to get the door open.

“Turn!” The Doctor said.

“Doctor, quickly!” River added

“It’s opening, it’s working.” I reported. Amy and River slipped through. I stood by The Doctor.

“Fall back!” Father Octavian ordered as the Clerics moved through the doorway followed by Father Octavian, The Doctor and me. We moved down a similar corridor to another door. The Doctor held the door open with the sonic as the others went through. I tried to stay by him but he pushed me through the door. “Doctor, quickly!” River and I both said, I held my hand out to him

“Doctor!” Amy added. The Doctor ran to join us as the door quickly closed behind him. He took my hand as he passed by me, dragging me along with him to one of the controls. I examined our surroundings, the flight deck was in major disrepair with exposed wires all over the console.

“Doctor!” Amy said, the hatch lock spins shut and Father Octavian placed a device on the door. “What are you doing?” Amy asked Father Octavian

“Magnetized the door. Nothing could turn that wheel now.” Father Octavian answered.

“Yeah?” The Doctor retorted like he knew. I scoffed. The Angels were nothing ordinary, they could get through those doors, there was enough radiation on this ship to give them the energy they needed. And just to prove us right, the wheel behind the Father began to turn.

“Dear God!” Father Octavian exclaimed surprised.

“Ah, now you're getting it! You've bought us time though, that's good. I am good with time.” The Doctor said, I agreed with him. Enough time for us to get into the section, another deck between us and the Angels. All is hoping.

“Doctor!” Amy pointed out that another door wheel was spinning.

“Seal that door. Seal it now!” Father Octavian ordered a cleric, who placed a magnetic device on the second door.

“We’re surrounded!” River reported as a third door began to spin open.

“Seal it, seal that door.” Father Octavian ordered another cleric, who placed yet another device on the door. “Doctor, how long have we got?” he asked.

“Five minutes, max.” The Doctor answered

“Nine.” Amy said. I looked at her, first ten and now nine. Counting down. If she said eight next, I could confirm that she was counting down. But to what?

“Five.” The Doctor corrected looking at Amy.

“Five, right yeah.” Amy said

“Why d'you say nine?” The Doctor asked

“I didn’t.” Amy argued

“We need another way out of here.” River said before they could get into it.

“There isn’t one.” Father Octavian pointed out.

“Yeah, there is, course there is. This is a galaxy class ship, goes for years between planet-falls.” The Doctor snapped his fingers “what do they need?” He asked

“Of course.” River said, getting it. I didn’t like it. She got something, I didn’t. I wracked my brains for a semblance of an answer before they gave me the answer. He snapped his fingers again.

“Of course, what? What do they need?” Amy asked

“Can we get in there?” Father Octavian asked. Great, he knew what they were talking about too.

“Well, it's a sealed unit, but they must have installed it somehow. This whole wall should slide up.” The Doctor said as he pressed against the rear wall, letting go of my hand. “There's clamps. Release the clamps!” He used the sonic on the clamps.

“What’s through there? What do they need?” Amy asked.

“They need to breathe.” River answered as the door slowly rose. I finally got the answer. A forest, trees, something to create oxygen so they didn’t suffocate. The Doctor smiled and squeezed my hand as he retook it. I looked at the small bit of the forest I could see with amazement.

“But that's... That's a...” Amy stuttered awestruck. The door opened fully to reveal lush vegetation and trees.

“It’s an oxygen factory.” River said

“It’s a forest.” Amy said

“Yeah, it's a forest, it's an oxygen factory.” River corrected.

“And, if we’re lucky, an escape route.” The Doctor added.

“Eight.” Amy said

“What did you say?” River asked

“Nothing.” Amy replied.

I was right. She was counting down. But to what? I would bet my life that it was Angel related.

“Is there another exit? Scan the architecture, we don't have time to get lost in there.” The Doctor said, breaking my thought track.

“On it!” Father Octavian responded stepping into the forest. “Stay where you are until I’ve checked the Red levels.” He ordered.

“But trees! On a space ship?” Amy said still amazed, like she couldn’t get over that simple thing.

“Oh, more than trees, way better than trees. You're going to love this.” The Doctor replied, stepping into the forest bringing me with him to show me. “Treeborgs…” He opened a section of peat moss to reveal circuitry. Now that I hadn’t expected. I was impressed. “Trees plus technology. Branches become cables, become sensors on the hull. A forest sucking in starlight, breathing out air. It even rains. There's a whole mini-climate. It is an eco-pod running through the heart of the ship. A forest in a bottle, on a space ship, in a maze. Have I impressed you yet, Amy Pond?” He smiled at me, knowing he had impressed me.

“Seven.” Amy chuckled

“Seven?” The Doctor asked joining Amy back on the flight deck.

“Sorry, what?” Amy asked confused.

“You said seven.” He replied as he studied her face. I copied his moves, maybe I’d figure out what she was counting down. All I knew was that I had six more numbers before that clock hit zero and it was doomsday.

“No. I didn’t.” Amy retorted.

“Yes, you did.” I replied.

“Doctor! There's an exit, far end of the ship, into the Primary Flight Deck.” Father Octavian interrupted the moment.

“Good, that’s where we need to go.” The Doctor replied

“Plotting a safe path.” Father Octavian reported.

“Quick as you like!” The Doctor replied still studying Amy. I thought it was time to tell him what I noticed in my twin sister. I was about to tell him when a voice we hadn’t heard from for a bit.

“Doctor? Excuse me. Hello, Doctor? Angel Bob here, sir.” Angel Bob spoke over the radio stopping me from what I was about to tell the Doctor.

“Ah. there you are, Angel Bob. How's life? Sorry, bad subject.” The Doctor spoke into the radio, letting go of my hand as he swung into the command chair.

“The Angels are wondering what you hope to achieve.” Angel Bob responded

“Achieve? We’re not achieving anything. We're just hanging. It's nice in here, consoles, comfy chairs, a forest. How's things with you?” The Doctor said casually as though he wasn’t speaking with the entities that were after us.

“The Angels are feasting, sir. Soon we will be able to absorb enough power to consume this vessel, this world, and all the stars and worlds beyond.” Angel Bob reported

“Well, we’ve got comfy chairs, did I mention?” The Doctor replied

“We have no need of comfy chairs.” Angel Bob answered,

“I made him say comfy chairs!” The Doctor said with a grin to us off the radio. I laughed

“Six.” Amy laughed. Five more numbers, and the time increment between the numbers was getting shorter the closer she got to zero.

“Okay, well, enough chat. Here’s what I want to know: what have you done to Amy?” The Doctor standing up quickly asking into the radio.

“There is something in her eye.” Angel Bob answered

“What’s in her eye?” The Doctor asked again.

“We are.” Angel Bob answered ominously. Shit! The answer to her countdown hit me, it was the countdown until she was either possessed by an angel or became one. Yeah, she wasn’t the greatest sister, but she was family. Ohana. Like that Disney film I had watched a few years back. Ohana means family, family means nobody gets left behind or forgotten, or I would amend, turned into an energy sucking Angel.

“What's he talking about? Doctor, I'm five.” Amy argued, everyone stared at her. “I mean, five. Fine! I'm fine.”

“You’re counting.” I said

“Counting?” Amy asked

“You're counting down. From ten. You have been for a couple of minutes.” The Doctor answered, clearly he noticed without me having to tell him.

“Why?” Amy asked

“I don’t know.” The Doctor replied. HA! I figured it out before he did.

“Well, counting down to what?” Amy asked

“I don’t know.” The Doctor replied again.

“Doctor, it clearly has to do with Angels.” I told him, hoping he got the hint.

“We shall take her. We shall take all of you. We shall have dominion over all time and space.” Angel Bob said over the radio sounding a lot like a dark lord.

The Doctor sat back in his chair and replied “Get a life, Bob. Oops, sorry again. There's power on this ship, but nowhere near that much.”

“With respect, sir, there is more power on this ship than you yet understand.” Angel Bob replied before there was a loud, horrible screeching.

“Dear God, what is it?” River asked

“They’re back.” Father Octavian reported.

“It's hard to put in your terms, Dr Song, but as best I understand it, the Angels are laughing.” Angel Bob answered over the radio.

“Laughing?” The Doctor asked into the radio.

“Because you haven't noticed yet. The Doctor in the TARDIS hasn't noticed.” Angel Bob answered

“Doctor!” Father Octavian said as the Doctor stood up from the chair.

“No, wait, there's something...I've...” He slowly turned to see a glowing crack high in the wall that somehow all of us had missed. “missed.” He said before running back to the wall.

“That's... That's like the crack from my bedroom wall from when I was a little girl.” Amy pointed out. I nodded.

“Yes.” The Doctor said.

I thought back to what he had said what the crack was back fourteen years ago. **_“Two parts of space and time that should never have touched.”_**

“Ok, enough, we’re moving out!” Father Octavian ordered, breaking my flashback.

“Agreed. Doctor?” River confirmed

“Yeah. Fine!” The Doctor said before using the sonic on the crack.

“What are you doing?” I asked

“Right with you.” The Doctor answered, not really paying attention to my question.

“We’re not leaving without you!” I argued indignantly.

“Oh, yes you are. Bishop?” The Doctor said

“Miss Pond, Dr Song, now!” Father Octavian ordered. River grabbed Amy and pulled her to the forest. Father Octavian moved forward and grabbed my arm pulling me along after them.

“Doctor, come on!” I said moving along with the Bishop.

 

_Third POV_

 

“So, what are you?” The Doctor asked as he looked at the readings from the screwdriver. “Oh, that's bad. Ah, that's extremely very not good.” He responded to the readings he got before pressing his ear against the wall and when he turned back, he was surrounded by Angels. “Do not blink.” He said as he climbed over the console to get past them and was grabbed by his jacket collar.

 

_Avery’s POV_

I walked next to Amy and River in the centre of a patrol of clerics. I wasn’t happy about leaving the Doctor behind, if it wasn’t for the fact there were clerics behind me I would of snuck back to help him. Then I noticed Amy began to walk slower and have a strange, almost sickly look on her face. I nudged River to get her attention to the fact there was something wrong.

“Amy?” River asked walking over and gripping Amy’s arms. “Amy, what’s wrong?”

 

_Third POV_

The Doctor was still in the grip of the Angels. “Why am I not dead then?” He turned nervously and saw that the Angels had their hands up to the crack as if worshipping it. “Good, and not so good. Oh, this isn't even a little bit good. I mean, is that it? Is that the power that brought you here? That's pure time energy, you can't feed on that. That's the power, that’s the fire at the end of the universe. I'll tell you something else...” He said, going on a bit of a mini rant. There was a loud rumbling. “Never let me talk!” He ran into the forest leaving behind his jacket in the hands of the Angels.

 

_Avery’s POV_

“Amy, what’s wrong?” River repeated to Amy.

“Four.” Amy said before curling up on a moss-covered rock. I sat next to her concerned.

“Med-scanner, now!” River ordered before one of the clerics gave it to her.

“Dr Song, we can't stay here, we've got to keep moving.” Father Octavian argued.

“We wait for the Doctor” River said pointedly as she used the scanner on Amy. For once, I agreed with her.

“Our mission is to make this wreckage safe and neutralise the Angels. Until that is achieved...” Father Octavian started to rant before River interrupted him and argued “Father Octavian, when the Doctor is in the room, your only mission is to keep him alive long enough to get everyone else home. And trust me. It's not easy. Now, if he's dead back there, I'll never forgive myself, and if he's alive, I'll never forgive him. And, Doctor, you're standing right behind me, aren't you?”

“Oh, yeah.” The Doctor replied. I smiled, that was one problem off my shoulders.

River turned to face the Doctor “I hate you!” She said jokingly

“You don't. Bishop, the Angels are in the forest” The Doctor said going to Amy’s side that I wasn’t occupying.

“We need visual contact on every line of approach.” Father Octavian ordered

“How did you get past them?” I asked

“Found a crack in the wall and told them it was the end of the universe.” The Doctor told us

“What was it?” Amy asked

“The end of the universe. Let's have a look then.” The Doctor answered checking the med-scanner.

“So. what's wrong with me?” Amy asked

“Nothing, you’re fine.” River answered.

“Everything, you’re dying.” The Doctor corrected.

“Doctor!” River argued

“Yes, you're right, if we lie to her, she'll get all better! Right. Amy! Amy. what's the matter with Amelia? Something's in her eye. What does that mean? Doesn’t mean anything.” The Doctor said

“Doctor.” Amy said

“Busy.” He replied

“Scared!” She retorted. I rubbed her side how I always imagined our mother would of if she was around.

“Course, you’re dying, shut up!” The Doctor said rudely as he stood up, I kicked him hard in the leg where I could reach. He glared at me and I gave him a hard look.

“OK, let him think.” River soothed Amy.

“What happened? She stared at the Angel, she looked into the eyes of an angel for too long...” The Doctor thought out loud.

“Sir! Angel, incoming!” A cleric reported to where an Angel is watching from the trees.

“And here.” A second cleric reported

“Keep visual contact, do not let it move!” Father Octavian ordered

The Doctor began to pace and slapped the sides of his head “Come on, come on, wakey, wakey! She watched an Angel climb out of the screen. She stared at the Angel and…and...”

“The image of an Angel is an Angel.” Amy and I said at the same time.

“A living image in a human mind. We stare at them to stop them getting closer, we don't even blink and that's exactly what they want, cos as long as our eyes are open, they can climb inside. There's an Angel in her mind.” The Doctor figured out, he put his hand over his mouth.

“Three. Doctor, it’s coming. I can feel it. I’m going to die!” Amy cried

“No you’re not.” I soothed Amy.

“Please just shut up, I'm thinking. Now counting, what's that about?” The Doctor said rudely, and I rolled my eyes not bothering to hit him when he was so close to getting it. He asked Angel Bob into radio “Bob, why are they making her count?”

“To make her afraid, sir.” Angel Bob answered over the radio

“OK. But why. What for?” He replied

“For fun, sir.” Angel Bob answered. The Doctor growled in frustration and threw away the radio. One of the clerics watched the Doctor and turned back to look at the Angel when he hears a branch crack.

“Doctor, what’s happening to me? Explain!” Amy cried

“Inside your head, in the vision centres of your brain, there's an Angel.” He explained as he retook the spot he had taken previously. “It's like there's a screen, a virtual screen inside your mind, and the Angel is climbing out of it, and it's coming to shut you off.”

“Then what do I do?” Amy asked

“If it was a real screen, what would we do, we'd pull the plug. but we can't just knock her out, the Angel would take over!” The Doctor thinking aloud as he stood up once again

“Then what? Quickly!” River said

“We’ve got to shut down the vision centers of her brain. We've got to pull the plug, starve the Angel.” The Doctor answered

River looked at the scanner “Doctor, she’s got seconds.”

“How would you starve your lungs?” He asked me.

“I’d stop breathing.” I replied

“Amy, close your eyes!” He ordered Amy

“No, no, I don't want to.” Amy replied

“Good, because that's not you, that's the Angel inside you, it's afraid! Do it! Close your eyes!” The Doctor replied. Amy hesitated but closed her eyes when the Doctor nodded his head. The scanner beeped and the readings that had previously been red returned to green.

“She’s normalising.” River reported before sighing “You did it! You did it!”

“Sir? Two more incoming.” The cleric reported.

“Three more over here.” The second one reported

“Still weak, dangerous to move her.” River reported putting away the scanner

“So, can I open my eyes now?” Amy asked sitting up

The Doctor bent down in front of Amy and said ” Amy, listen to me. If you open your eyes now for more than a second, you will die. The Angel is still inside you. We haven't stopped it, we've just sort of...paused it. You've used up your countdown. You cannot open your eyes.”

“Doctor, we’re too exposed here. We have to move on.” Father Octavian said

The Doctor straightened up “We’re exposed everywhere, and Amy can’t move, and anyway, that’s not the plan.” He replied as he took my hand and helped me off the rock to stand by him.

“There’s a plan?” River asked, sitting in my recently vacated spot next to Amy comforting her.

“I don't know yet, I haven’t finished talking. Right! Father, you and your Clerics will stay here, look after Amy. If anything happens to her, I'll hold each of you personally responsible, twice. River, you and me, we're going to find the Primary Flight Deck which is...” The Doctor said before licking his finger and held it up to test the air. “A quarter mile straight ahead. We’ll stabilise the wreckage, stop the Angels, and cure Amy.”

“How?” River asked

“I’ll do a thing.” He replied

“What thing?” She asked

“I don’t know, it’s a thing in progress. Respect the thing. Moving out!” He answered.

“Doctor, I'm coming with you. My Clerics can look after Miss Pond. These are my best men, they'd lay down their lives in her protection.” Father Octavian added.

“I don’t need you.” The Doctor argued.

“I don't care. Where Dr Song goes, I go.” Father Octavian states as River came over to join us.

“What?” The Doctor asked looking at River and then back at Father Octavian “You two engaged or something?”

“Yes, in a manner of speaking. Marco, you’re in charge till I get back.” Father Octavian ordered and started off with River.

“Sir!” Marco argued

“Doctor... Please, can't I come with you?” Amy questioned

“You'd slow us down, Miss Pond.” Father Octavian said

“I don't want to sound selfish, but you'd really speed me up.” Amy retorted

The Doctor sat next to Amy, letting go of my hand “You’ll be safer here. We can’t protect you on the move. I’ll be back for you soon as I can. I promise.” The Doctor told her.

“You always say that.” Amy argued

**“I always come back” He replied before standing. “Good luck everyone. Behave. Do not let that girl open her eyes. And keep watching the forest. Stop those Angels advancing. Amy, later!“ He tapped her on the head before taking my hand taking me off with him asking “River, going to need your computer."**

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: So so sorry about the lateness of this update. I lost motivation. A lot happened. I moved back in with my dad for the summer, and I got a job. So unlike all the other times, I’m not going to make promises that I’ll update any time soon, but I’ll make the promise that in the very least I’ll finish off this part/episode. Do comment or review if you find any mistakes, been awhile might of forgotten something and also I wrote this at 4:30am because I found inspiration at the worst time ever because I work at 11:30am instead of closing like I have the entire past week. Hope I can fall asleep fast after post. Love those of you who bothered to read this as well those who stuck around. <3
> 
> ~ smilesriddle


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